IMPHAL, January 5: In the backdrop of disputes between the NRHM and Manipur Health Service on the issue of some Medical Officers, efforts are on to promote one of the Medical Officers to the post of the Director, Family Welfare department according to reliable sources.
Sources informed that when the direct recruitment of Medical Officers for NRHM was conducted under the Manipur Public Service Commission; the recruitment was conducted under the norm of 75 percent on deputation from the NRHM staffs and 25 percent through direct recruitment.
The MPSC selected Medical Officers had quit from the MHS for the NRHM direct recruitment. The source added however, that even after their recruitment for the NRHM, instead of attending their new posts, they are continuing to attend to their previous posts with the MHS.
This has not only disturbed the whole seniority list of the MHS but one of them has been chosen to be promoted to the post of the Family Welfare Services Director, the source informed.
Sources have identified the said Medical Officer as Dr K Rajo Singh who presently holds the post of Addl Director of the department. The present Director Dr N Achouba Singh was on a 70 days commuted leave, when the process of bringing in Dr K Rajo Singh as the Director was initiated, said the source.
The Under Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) had on December 29 made the proposal to the Deputy Secretary (DP) through an official letter, the source informed.
Further according to the source, the said MO Dr K Rajo Singh was amongst the MPSC recruited NRHM Medical Officers and was a Grade III official while with the MHS. After his recruitment as a Grade II officer in the NRHM he was again promoted as a Grade I officer with the MHS.
Meanwhile concerned with the issue, the then Director, Health Services had dispatched an official letter to the Commissioner (Health & FM) quoting the directives of the Gauhati High Court on the issue on September 29, 2012.
The letter said, “The judgement and order dated September 7, 2012 of the Gauhati High Court, Principal Bench, Guwahati has firmly established the fact that the direct appointment of the Gynaecologists, Anaesthetists and Paediatricians to meet the immediate requirement in NRHM. The objective is very clear: after due recruitment, the specialists will be utilized in the NRHM. However, unfortunately it did not happen. After having passed the judgement and order by the High Court, initiatives may be taken up urgently to utilize hem in the NRHM to avoid legal complicacies like contempt of Court.
MHS cadre and NRHM cadre are different cadres. In order to comply with the High Court judgement and to practically exercise the objective of the direct recruitment, the Specialists need to be posted to the NRHM by deputation only. Had this ne done immediately after the recruitment in 2006, the progress in NRHM particularly in functionalization of FRUs, better MMR, IMR etc would have been achieved. Doing it now is not too late. The officers on repatriation from the NRHM cadres to MHS cadre are to return to the then pre-recruitment grade in order to avoid legal complicacies.
Further in the light of the observations made by the High Court and its judgement, it is suggested to modify the order issued by the government dated December 28 for appointment to the post of MHS Grade II in line with the High Court order and depute in the NRHM cadre. Further subsequent promotion order dated July 12, 2012 to the post of MHS Grade I may also be cancelled”.
