Cancelling of dental surgeon’s appointment after 18 years | CAT miffed over defiance, says reply ‘contemptuous’

Srinagar, Apr 7:  Observing as “contemptuous” the authorities’ reply, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Srinagar expressed its dismay over the non-compliance of its orders related to a dental surgeon whose appointment was cancelled as withdrawn by the commission after 18 years.

“This court otherwise is left with no option but to issue bailable warrants against the Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Department, J&K, as also the Secretary, PSC, Jammu and Kashmir, only to seek compliance of the orders,” a division bench of Member (J), M S Latif and Member (A) Prasant Kumar said in its order.

“However at the request of the learned counsel for the respondents, DAG Bikram Deep Singh and Shah Amir, we are granting five days to the respondents to implement the orders passed by this court in their letter and spirit and the matter is fixed for April 8, 2024, as case No 1,” it said.

The tribunal directed the Secretary, PSC, and Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Department to appear before it on April 8, if compliance was not filed.

The tribunal issued directions after observing that prima facie, the reply filed by the authorities was “contemptuous” and went against the spirit of the orders passed by the tribunal dated August 9, 2023, as well as the order dated September 22, 2023, as also against the mandate of the judgment passed by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.

The tribunal was hearing a case wherein it had earlier put on hold the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) order cancelling the appointment of a dental surgeon, A A Mughal, after 18 years as “withdrawn”. The tribunal had also directed the authorities to accommodate the dental surgeon, Dr Shwiti Gupta given the J&K High Court’s orders in this regard.