Srinagar: In a brazen violation of the recruitment rules and also without the approval of the state government, several hospitals have made unauthorized appointments under the Hospital Development Fund (HDF) in Kashmir Valley.
Well places sources said that 132 illegal, extra-constitutional and unauthorized appointments had been made by a former medical superintendent of Sub-District Hospital Sopore in North Kashmir while such illegal appointments have also been made in District Hospital Pulwama.
The appointments were made in complete violation and disregard of the Government Order No. 954 HME of 2000 Dated: 21-12-2000 and Government Order No. 150-HME of 2005 Dated: 15-3-2005, which make it clear that the HDF has no scope for employing or engaging people. The fund, according to the orders, is meant for minor repairs and sanitation of the hospitals in case of any exigency or emergency. The Medical Superintendents of District and Sub-District hospitals need the approval of at least 1 MLA/MLC to operate the HDF.
Sources added that out of 132 employees appointed illegally under HDF at SDH Sopore only 35 employees work on daily basis while rest of the employees draws salaries illegally.
The then Medical Superintendent responsible for these illegal appointments have been transferred to some other hospital while his successor sought voluntary transfer after observing the mess, said a doctor on condition of anonymity.
The government must order an inquiry into the HDF recruitments so that the huge loss to the exchequer is saved. Also the posts must be properly advertised and funds genuinely utilized, he said. The doctor also informed that the then Medical Superintendent also allotted a parking slot to an employee of the hospital without issuing any tender and the income generated from the source did not go to the Hospital Development Fund.
Medical Superintendent Sopore, however, termed the accusations as baseless. Some people want to malign my image and they have been cooking stories against me, he said. Illegal appointments under HDF have also been reported from District Hospital Pulwama. Reports said that on the recommendations of a political leader, several people have been engaged under HDF. Leave illegal appointments aside, the District Hospital Pulwama is in shambles where from past one month not a single surgery has been done, a member of the traders federation Pulwama said. The hospital Genset is out of order and the authorities dont bother to repair it.
Admitting that hospital genset was out of order, Medical Superintendent, Pulwama, Dr Saleem said that they have installed a new genset now and operation theatre is functioning normally.
He said that 16 major and minor surgeries were done on Wednesday alone. He added that no illegal appointment under HDF has been made in the hospital. Government should probe the matter and take action against those who have resorted to illegal means, he said.
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