Health Dept removes 22 employees from service

Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, July 8

The Health Department has removed from service 22 employees who were recruited in March this year. Confirming this, Civil Surgeon Dr Bharat Bhushan said on Monday that the services of these employees have been terminated with immediate effect as per the orders of the Director, Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab.

The dismissal follows allegations of fraud and irregularities in the appointment of these 22 employees in the district. According to the department, they were recruited without the prior permission of the Deputy Medical Commissioner (DMC) in March this year. The Director has issued orders to the Deputy Commissioner who is also the Chairman, District Health Committee, Tarn Taran to remove them from service immediately. In the orders issued to the Deputy Commissioner, the Director, Health and Family Welfare Department, has said that the Deputy Medical Commissioner, Tarn Taran, brought the matter to notice and the department formed a three-member committee to probe the matter. In his letter, the Director said that the recruitment of 22 employees was totally unauthorised, for which they should be removed from their posts immediately.

It may be mentioned that employees for the post of councillors, staff nurses, ward attendants, security guards and safai sewaks were recruited for the Rehabilitation Centre at Bhagupur (Patti) and the Rehabilitation and OOAT Centre, Tharu. Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar, who is also the Chairman of the District Health Committee, confirmed that the Director’s letter had been received by his office and that these 22 employees were being removed from service. The DC also said that action is being taken against officials and others found involved in the lapse.

There are reports that a senior officer of the department who was on the verge of retirement was instrumental in committing the irregularities. There were also reports that corruption played a major role in the recruitment as the officer who was to do the work was on leave then.