CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — At the Governing Body meeting of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Delhi today, placement of 25 per cent of existing senior Professors in higher pay scale was agreed upon. The decisions regarding the appointment of Dean, PGI, and promotions of Additional Professors as Professor was, however, deferred.

Returning to Chandigarh after attending the meeting, the PGI Director, Dr S.K. Sharma, said late in the evening that the departmental promotion committee would meet shortly to discuss and clear the cases of the senior professors. The higher pay scale of Rs 22,000 to Rs 26,000 would come into effect from October 1, 1997, the Director revealed.

The decision to promote 50 per cent of Additional Professors with seven years experience as Professor was deferred, the Director added. No directions have also been given specifying the date of two additional increments to be given to them, he said.

The decision of the body regarding higher pay scale is significant as the Cabinet had earlier decided against granting salaries to the faculty of the PGI and AIIMS as recommended by the Bakshi Committee. But a special package was sanctioned for providing extra benefits to Additional Professors and Professors in the two institutes.

Today, giving details of the meeting, the Director said the appointment of Dr K.P. Singh for the post of Assistant Professor in the Department of Endocrinology has not been accepted. PGI authorities had been directed to collect more documentary evidence against him regarding certain allegations, sources said.

Allowing his writ petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier directed the Governing Body to “reconsider the matter regarding his appointment or state reasons before August 30. .Earlier on also, Dr Singh’s name, recommended by the selection committee, was not ratified by the PGI governing body meeting.

The post of the PGI Dean has been lying vacant for over more than two years and even after several governing body meetings, the PGI has not been able to settle the issue.

Sources in the Health Ministry disclosed that about two dozen cases of doctors wishing to take up assignments abroad were put up before the governing body for concurrence. These cases had been approved on file by the President of the institute, Mr C.P Thakur. As per rules governing doctors of the PGI and AIIMS, a doctor is only entitled to a leave of two years at a time for training or assignment overseas. He is entitled to a total leave of five years for such assignments in his entire medical career.

Sources further said some cases which attracted disciplinary action were also reviewed by the members of the governing body. These cases pertained to doctors who had overstayed during their assignments abroad. They would not be considered for appointment in the PGI.