Chandigarh, December 31
The report of inquiry being faced by the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, is likely to be delayed as the Director-General, Health Services, Dr S.P. Aggarwal, who is the inquiry officer, has not been able to record the statement of all officials concerned within the stipulated three months time, commencing from October.
Sources in the Health Ministry informed that the statements of former Deputy Director Administration, PGI, Ms P. Shahi, and a former Superintendent Hospital Engineers (SHE), Mr R.C. Rosha, had been recorded in New Delhi yesterday. The statements of these senior officials, who were then posted at the PGI, were recorded before Dr S.P. Aggarwal, who has been appointed as the inquiry officer by the ministry.
Ever since the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry appointed the inquiry officer on November 13, this was the third time that statements of the officials concerned were recorded. The Health Ministry had ordered an inquiry against Prof Sharma for alleged violation of rules in the appointment of his relative as a Junior Engineer in the PGI engineering wing.
As part of the inquiry proceedings so far, the statements of various officials were recorded before Dr Aggarwal on December 9, 18 and 30.
“Though the time-frame fixed for the completion of the inquiry against Prof Sharma was three months from October, in all probability this will be counted from the date of appointment of the inquiry officer, which was November 13,” said a senior official in the ministry. As such, the chances of the inquiry continuing for some more time is not ruled out.
Though Dr Aggarwal could not be contacted in Delhi, it is learnt that the statements of some of the PGI staff, mostly from the engineering wing, could not be recorded yesterday, though they had presented themselves before the inquiry officer. The case, where Prof Sharma has been granted a stay on his suspension ordered by the Health Ministry, is scheduled to come up for hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 6.
It was at an extraordinary meeting of the PGI Institute Body (IB) on September 29 that an inquiry was ordered against Prof Sharma, who was asked to proceed on leave till the inquiry was completed in three months time. Meanwhile, the Health Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, ordered the suspension of Prof Sharma, who got a stay against it from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Though Prof Sharma has resumed charge as the Director, it is only after the court hearing on January 6 that his fate would be decided.
