The Hindu : National : Congress MP questions PMO’s “interference”

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Congress MP questions PMO’s “interference”

Special Correspondent

In the selection of a Director for the AIIMS

No mention about PMO in AIIMS Act
Three names “recommended” by the PMO

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress Member of Parliament R.K. Dhawan has questioned the authority of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in “interfering” in the selection of a Director for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Mr. Dhawan, who is a member of the Institute Body (IB) of the AIIMS, which held a meeting on July 17 to constitute a select committee for short- listing the names for the post sought to know “how the PMO had interfered in the affairs of the Institute Body since there was no mention about the PMO in the AIIMS Act, the Rules and Regulations.”

According to a copy of the minutes of the IB available with The Hindu, Mr. Dhawan had pointed out that there was some recommendation from the PMO as regard to the constitution of search-cum-selection committee. His opinion was seconded by Shyam Prasad, vice-president National Board of Examination.

At this point, the Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary Naresh Dayal informed the members that the PMO had recommended some names to be included in the committee and it was well within the domain of the Institute Body to accept such recommendations or decide otherwise. The Institute Body is chaired by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister in his capacity as president of AIIMS.

However, despite the opposition, the Institute Body unanimously agreed to include the three names “recommended” by the PMO in the 11-member select committee chaired by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. They are: R. Chidambaram Principal Scientific Adviser to Prime Minister, Samir K. Brahmachari Director General Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and V.K. Ramteke Director General Railway Health Services.

The PMO had reportedly made these “recommendations” after the Faculty Association of the AIIMS approached the Prime Minister asking him to constitute a select committee under his own chairmanship.

The suggestion was put forward with the hope that with the Prime Minister heading the committee the selection will be fair and free. The Faculty Association is also apprehensive that Dr. Ramadoss might put up his own candidate as the new director of the Institute.

The IB also decided that the select committee may make a panel of at least two candidates without mentioning their order of merit for approval. The select committee has already held its first meeting, where all 69 applications were scrutinised.

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