Incumbent director on recruitment spree at fag-end of his career
Kamran Shamshad
A top committee entrusted by the state government with appointing new director for SKIMS met here to finalise the list of prospective candidates in the race for top job.
Sources said the meeting of Selection Committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, BR Sharma was held Sunday at Royal Spring Golf Course in summer capital Srinagar.
However, sources said the incumbent director of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute Medical Sciences, Dr Showkat Ali Zargar, who is superannuating onJune 2, continues with corrupt practices and manipulative policies on the fag-end of his controversial career.
Brighter Kashmir has learnt that the approval of chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, over appointing a new director on purely merit basis already stands communicated. The CM earlier had approved the director’s superannuation vide order SIMS/Per/543/16-2424-33 dated 3-05-2016 and the advertisement for the appointment of new Director SKIMS was already publicized vide advertisement notification No; ME/NG/71/2016/SKIMS dated 05-04-2016.
However Dr Zargar continues with objectionable recruitment spree evident from the continuous interviews being held at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina since May 23 for Anesthesia technician, Anesthesia Assistant, Junior Theatre Assistant, Physiotherapist, Storekeeper, junior radiographer,
junior pharmacists, staff nurses etc.
Sources said that the director is “busy” in making selection/recruitments to various categories of posts in JVC Bemina in the last week of his service carrier where he is holding the additional charge of Principal in addition to being Director at SKIMS Soura.
“How can you make a selection by conducting interview on 3ist May, 2016 when you are retiring on 2nd June,” questioned SKIMS insiders.
“It is amply clear that the selection already stands done and he is completing a formality only as Director is immune to insult with innumerable enquiries going on against his corrupt practices involving recruitments, purchase of equipment & machinery etc,” they said.
They said that It was beyond imagination how a notification was issued in a local dailies dated 28th May, 2016 that interview for the posts of ECG Technician, Dental Technician, Electrician, Dental Assistants, Telephone Operators, Library Assistants etc shall be held on Tuesday the 31st
May,2016 at 1.00 pm barely 36 Hrs before the last day of his superannuation day on June 2nd,2016.
Insiders said Dr Zargar not only managed the director’s post but also controlled most of the other departments like Chief of Materials & Management, HoD of Community Medicine, Gastroenterlogy, Urology,
Superintendent of Trust Hospital, Principal of SKIMS Medical College Bemina, and at times Joint Director SKIMS and even as AO Policy. He allegedly violated all the financial norms as he used to generate the requisitions himself as head of many departments, would recommend the same in the capacity of CMM and approve the same in the capacity of Director & Ex Officio Secretary to Govt ( All in One ) thereby hundreds of complaints and news story got published about his bungling in purchases involving crore meant for patient care including a fraud flood hospital in 2014 which never existed on ground and the same being under scanner along with other purchase scandals in State vigilance Department.
Even at this fag end his manipulative tactics continue as he deliberately delayed the appointment of new Dean Academics, which is very simple process as it does not involve any advertisement.
“Simply the senior most professors takes over from the dean after completion of the incumbent dean with approval of the competent authority and it is first time in the history of SKIMS Soura,” sources said. The Dean placement has not taken in time and Director & ex Officio Secretary to Govt received order of the charge of Dean from Joint Director SKIMS ( Order No SIMS 302 02 (XXIV )/99-1188-1201 dated May,03 -2016 )city pending of the approval from the competent authority for a regular dean.
They said that the aim behind delay is to ensure selection of various courses in SKIMS deemed University through himself before his superannuation as is evident from the notification for DM & MCH, which normally gets issued in June July as the results of the most MD/MS Courses in the state are awaited till ending May and obviously they are the Doctors who make the bulk of the applicants, but here he has already issued the notice with last date as 18th May, 2016. And has fixed the DM Entrance exam on 30th of May.
This story was first published in Brighter Kashmir