Govt constitutes panel to clarify qualification, examine experience certificates

Srinagar, May 4: The government has reported to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Srinagar about the committee it constituted to find out whether working as ‘Causality Medical Officer’ would include ‘running a hospital’ which makes eligible a candidate for the post of Deputy Medical Superintendent in GMC Srinagar and Jammu.

The Health and Medical Education Department informed the tribunal that the panel has been constituted in compliance to its orders passed on May 5, 2024, March 12 and April 21 this year.

The panel comprising Director SKIMS as its Chairman with principals of Government Medical College Srinagar, Government Medical College Jammu and Director (Coordination) new GMCs as member besides Secretary J&K Public Service Commission as Member Secretary has been tasked to clarify the qualification prescribed for the post of Deputy Medical Superintendent under the Jammu & Kashmir Medical Education (Gazetted) Service Recruitment rules, 1979 notified vide SRO- 517 dated 19.09.1979 especially regarding the term “experience of running of hospital".

At the same time, the Committee has been ordered to examine the experience certificates of those, who have been declared eligible by the Public Service Commission including the experience certificates of the aggrieved candidate, Dr Kulbir Singh Jat, for the post of Deputy Medical Superintendent. The Committee has to submit its recommendation to the Health & Medical Education Department within seven days positively from the issuance of the Govt Order dated April 25, 2025.

As the matter came up for consideration, the bench comprising M S Latif Member (J) and Prasant Kumar Member (A) observed that ordinarily the committee ought to have been constituted immediately upon passing of the order on November 5,c2024, saying it took the court more than five months to seek compliance of the order which delayed the disposal of the matter.

While the bench noted that such an act must be viewed seriously, it said: “In this regard, we would like to express that this delay is squarely attributable to the respondents and consequences must rest upon them”. In response to the submission that the Secretary, Public Service Commission was bidding farewell to his service career, the tribunal said: “This Court would not like to pass any harsh order against him for any sort of non-compliance, which, prima facie, was observed by this Court in its previous orders”. Meanwhile the tribunal asked the Chairman of the Committee to expedite submission of the report, as the same would facilitate the speedy disposal of the issue. It listed the matter for further consideration on May 13.