Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 29: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today set aside the selection of 9 Medical Officers in the Health Department and asked the Department to consider the appointment of 9 deserving doctors as Medical Officers in their place.
While disposing of the Service Writ Petitions (691/12, 916/12, 1841/10 and 864/08) titled Dr Nazir Ahmad Dar Versus State, Justice Husnain Masoodi directed that selection of 9 Medical Officers has been set aside. He directed the Health Department to consider the appointment of 9 deserving doctors as Medical Officers in their place.
While passing the directions, HC declared the selection of Medical Officers in Block Kangan in district Ganderbal in 7 Primary Health Centres as eligible and has said that they have right to continue.
The Court observed that in Block Lar in district Ganderbal against two Medical Officers in PHC Lar and Safapora, 2 candidates – Sibtul Hussain and Tajali Jeelani – who don’t belong to the block Lar have been engaged. The Court directed that Dr Mohammad Sultan Leharwal is from block Lar and therefore has preferential right to be engaged against one of the two positions available in the block and Dr Sibtul Hussain has least merit 67.19 points and therefore his selection is set aside. The court has directed the department to consider appointment of Dr Mohammad Sultan Leharwal.
The Court order said that in Wakura in district Ganerbal, two positions of Medical Officers were available and have been filled up. One of the appointees, Dr Abdul Majeed is of block Srinagar, whose engagement has been quashed. The Court has directed the department to consider the appointment of Dr Sheraz Ahmad Parray against his place.
The Court has also quashed the appointments of Dr Yasmeen Jan, PHC Sriwarpora; Dr Benazir Ali, PHC Wanigam; Dr Manzoor Ahmad Khanday, PHC Hariwatnoo; Dr Bilal Ahmad Wani, PHC Gulmarg; Dr Bilal Ahad Wani, PHC Kalantra and Dr Rabia Malik, PHC Chuntimulla. It has directed that Dr Meema Bano, Dr Aadil Rashid Bhat, Dr Gazalla, Dr Shoukat Ahmad Dobi, Dr Khursheed Ahamd Lone and Dr Riyaz Ahamd Zulfi be considered as Medical Officers in their places respectively.
These Medical Officers were appointed by an order of the Health Department on May 28, 2008. The Chairman Executive Committee, Jammu and Kashmir Health Society invited applications on November 3, 2007 for appointment of Medical Officers under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to strengthen the health care system at block level.
The petitioners had claimed that the selection of the Medical Officers was not fair and was made in violations of NRHM norms. The petitioners had claimed that the selected candidates had not one year of experience, had no Bachelors Degree in ISM, had not served as Medical Officers and local candidates were ignored.
The selected candidates on the other hand claimed that their selection was fair and as per the NRHM norms.
The records revealed that out of 34 candidates, 13 Medical Officers didn’t belonged to that particular block. The NRHM Scheme was launched in April 2004 across the country to strengthen the rural health care and it was implemented in Jammu and Kashmir in December 2005.
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