Tribunal issues contempt notice to Director-Principal of GMCH-32

Tribune News Service

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, March 29

Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has issued a notice to Dr Jasbider Kaur, Director-Principal, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 (GMCH-32), on a contempt petition filed by Dr Sushumna Sood under section 17 of the Administrative Tribunal Act 1985 read with Central Administrative Tribunal (contempt of Court) Rules 1992.

Alleging wilful disobedience of the order passed by CAT on April 4, 2021, Dr Sushumna , in the petition filed through counsel DR Sharma, prayed CAT to summon the Director-Principal and punished for disobeying its order.

In the order passed in April 2021, CAT, Chandigarh, had directed the GMCH-32 to consider and forward the name of Dr Sushumna, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, for appointment as Internal Examiner in all future examinations to be conducted by Panjab University on her turn, as per the existing guidelines on rotation of examiners.

Dr Sushumna has challenged the decision of the GMCH for not considering her name for the appointment of internal examiner despite fulfilling all qualifications.

She said she fulfilled all qualifications to be appointed as Internal Examiner by rotation. But she was denied the opportunity by the GMCH authorities and those juniors to her were appointed to the post. She was being ignored in an arbitrary and illegal manner, She alleged bias with mala fide intention on the ground of her being a non-medico teacher.

After hearing the arguments, the tribunal directed the Director-Principal to consider and forward her name for appointment as Internal Examiner in the examinations being conducted by Panjab University for all future examinations, on her turn, as per the existing guidelines on rotation of examiners. She shall be offered equal opportunities for teaching and examinership in all future examinations.

In the contempt petition, Sharma said despite the order, the petitioner was being discriminated by the respondent. The petitioner is the senior most in the department and her name falls at serial number 2 but the respondent has prepared a new proforma making a distinction in the examiner by categorising as medical and nonmedical examiner and mentioning her name in the last in the list though there could not be any distinction, said Sharma.

The counsel demanded that the order of CAT be got implemented and respondent is directed to incorporate the name of the petitioner as per her seniority in the list sent to the university for appointment as Internal Examiner. He also said the GMCH-32 moved the High Court against the CAT’s order but the court declined stay. The Bench, comprising Rakesh Kumar Gupta and Suresh Kumar Monga, issued a notice to the respondent to show cause as to why the contempt proceedings be not initiated against her while listing the case for April 19.

The case

Dr Sushumna Sood had challenged the decision of the GMCH for not considering her name for the appointment of internal examiner despite fulfilling all qualifications.

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