M A I N   N E W S

Medical teachers oppose circular
Promotion rules may leave many ineligible
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 25
Even though about 40 per cent posts of medical teacher are lying vacant in medical colleges of the state, a new circular issued by the Punjab Government is likely to make most of the medical teachers “ineligible” for promotion.

If the medical teachers do not get promotions following the circular which lays down strict guidelines, the medical colleges may get derecognised as vacancies of senior posts may increase with the retirement of staff members.

Dr Baljit Singh Dhillon, general secretary of the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association (PSMDTA), said the criteria for grading the annual confidential report (ACR) of the medical teachers for promotion through departmental promotion committees would create havoc if implemented in toto. He said already the government could not fill the post of director of the department after the retirement of Dr S.S. Sidhu on January 31.

The circular states that all promotion cases relating to the head of department will be decided on the basis of merit-cum-seniority. Those graded “outstanding” will rank senior to those graded “very good” and only those graded as “very good” will be considered.

For promotion to posts falling in group A with the pay scales of Rs 12,000-Rs 16,350 and above, the benchmark will be “very good” and officers graded “outstanding” will rank senior to those graded “very good”.

In the case of promotion to posts with the pay scales less than Rs 12,000 Rs 16,350, the benchmark will be “good”. It will determine fitness and a person graded “very good” or “outstanding” will not supersede those graded “good”.

An outstanding person will get four marks, “very good” three “good” two and “average” one.

ACRs for five years will be taken into account for promotion. Out of a total of 20 marks, those getting 10 to 14 marks will be graded “overall good”. Those getting 15 to 17 will be graded “very good” while those getting 18 to 20 will be graded “outstanding”.

Departmental promotion committees while considering reports which are “outstanding” must read all entries in the ACR. The work must have been out of the ordinary and reasons for giving the grade must be cogent to be accepted as “outstanding”. If the ACR does not fulfil the above criteria, the entry “outstanding” should be read as “very good” only. A medical teacher will not be fit for promotion if he/she is rated below average in any one of the ACRs.

The PSMDTA has requested the state government that the ACR written before the issuance of the circular should not be made the criteria for promotion. The new circular should not be applicable to those who had been working before the issuance of the circular.

The medical association said to save the state medical colleges from being derecognised, the circular should be scrapped and the promotions should be done on the basis of seniority and merit only.