Forget rules, Joshi picks his own for medical colleges

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Making a mockery of rules, Punjab’s Minister for Medical Education and Research Anil Joshi has made arbitrary appointments to the top posts in the Department of Medical Education.

Dr Bachan Lal Bhardwaj was appointed principal of Government Medical College, Patiala, on Monday. His name is 35th on the latest seniority list of Punjab’s medical faculty. In other words, he’s been made principal despite a large number of professors being senior to him in Punjab’s government medical colleges — seven in GMC, Patiala, alone.

The Punjab Medical Education (Group-A) Service Rules, 2016, notified in March, say the principal should be appointed “from amongst the panel of only seniormost professors”. 

Sources said a file was sent to Joshi to make the appointment as per rules, but he sent a note ordering to appoint Dr Bhardwaj as principal.

When contacted, Husan Lal, Secretary, Medical Education and Research, said the appointments were temporary. 

Another arbitrary decision was the appointment of Dr Bhupinder Singh Brar as the Medical Superintendent in the Patiala college’s hospital. He does not even qualify for the post, that requires at least five years’ experience and has to be filled as per the seniority list of professors. Dr Brar became professor on December 5, 2012 and he is 59th on the seniority list.

A similar practice was followed when it came to appointing Dr Baljinder Pal Singh Bal as principal of Government Medical College, Amritsar, six months back. On the seniority list, Dr Bal’s name is 21st. In GMC, Amritsar, alone, there are at least eight professors senior to him. Dr Bal, incidentally, is Joshi’s neighbour in Amritsar.

Even for the post of Medical Superintendent (in charge of hospital) at GMC, Amritsar, Dr RS Sharma was appointed despite being 33rd on the seniority list; 13 are senior to him. 

Joshi could not be contacted.