Chandigarh, January 8
While a regular director for the State Institute of Education (SIE) in Sector 32 here was finally appointed last week after the post remained with the principal of another institution on an ad hoc basis for over a year, it has focused attention on a long-standing proposal with the Administration to alter the selection process for the post.
According to sources in the Education Department, a proposal was mooted to fill the post of Director of the SIE through direct recruitment by the Union Public Service Commission, rather than through promotion within the cadre.
When the erstwhile Director, Mr H. C. Sharma retired in May, 2001, the UT Administration did not issue any orders to fill the post or hand over charge to the next senior-most person. This resulted in the post lying vacant for 12 days, during which nobody was at the helm of affairs of the institute.
Then on June 13, 2001, the Principal of the Government College of Education, Ms Surinder Kaur Tangri was given interim charge as Director of the SIE in addition to her own responsibilities as Principal.
At that time this had generated a controversy as Mr A S Dhaliwal, the next seniormost lecturer in the SIE after the outgoing Director, was apparently not considered for the post. Officials of the Education Department stated that there were no notified rules for appointment to the said post and Ms Tangri, though posted in a different institute, was senior to Mr Dhaliwal and hence, was given the interim charge. The cadre for teachers of both institutes is common.
It was also stated that the appointment of a regular director would take place once new rules were notified, but then another issue a rose. Appointment could be done in accordance to rules in vogue at the time when the post fell vacant — which was promotion on the basis of seniority.
Mr Dhaliwal, who had applied for the post of Director on the basis of seniority and experience, also moved the Central Administrative Tribunal. He retired in August, 2002.
The present Director, Ms Saroj Saini, who took charge on January 4, has been appointed on the basis of seniority. As per the seniority list, she was next in line after Mr Dhaliwal. This has raised questions in some sections that if appointment was to be made on the basis of seniority till the time new rules were enforced, why then the delay for 18 months.
The DPI (Colleges), Mr Dalip Kumar, when contacted, said the proposal for direct recruitment for the post of director had already been forwarded to the Central Government and was in the process of being notified. “They had wanted some clarifications which was sent to them a few days ago,” he said.
