Health dept salaries stuck in Panipat Civil Surgeon’s absence

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, September 6

Deputy civil surgeons and employees of the Health Department here have not got their salaries for August as there has been no regular civil surgeon for the past one-and-a-half months.

Though a deputy civil surgeon is officiating as civil surgeon here, he has no drawing and disbursing authority (DD authority). This has hit the pocket of department employees working in the civil surgeon’s office, National Health Mission office and in offices including malaria, training, PCPNDT, TB wing etc.

Sources said, “Five deputy civil surgeons, 40 employees of the establishment in the civil surgeon’s office, 20 officials and employees in the NHM offices and employees working in all deputy civil surgeons’ offices have not got their salaries yet.”

The salary of employees could be drawn from the government treasury only on the signature of officials who have DD authority, said sources.

One-and-a-half months back, civil surgeon Dr Sant Lal Verma was shifted to Mewat.

Though Dr Naveen Suneja is working as officiating civil surgeon, he has not been given DD authority to draw salaries and payments from the government treasury. Not only salary, but also all transaction work has been hit.

Dr Suneja said, “I have sent a letter to the headquarters with regard to the DD authority so that salary bills of officials and employees could be drawn.”

Work in the newly constructed building has also been delayed by a month just because of the non-availability of a regular civil surgeon, he added. “I have informed the higher authorities about the problems. They have assured me that a civil surgeon would join here soon, Dr Suneja said.