Appointment of GMC Srinagar Principal: HC demands to see cabinet decision

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the state government to submit to it the record of the cabinet decision regarding appointment of Principal of Government Medical College, Srinagar.

The directive has been issued on the petition of the senior-most professor Javid Chowdhary challenging the appointment of Saima Rashid as the principal of the medical college.

Chowdhary has contended that Saima Rashid was the junior-most professor in the panel of five submitted by the establishment committee.

Chowdhary has said the health and medical department, in its proposal to the cabinet, had submitted only his name for the post of Principal, based on the assessment of service records, comparative merit and performance of the five professors carried out by the establishment-cum-selection committee.

However, the cabinet, which met on April 28, 2017 with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in the chair, decided to ignore the proposal of the health department and appointed Rashid as the principal.

The government filed a caveat before the High Court in connection with the appointment.

While discharging the caveat, Justice Tashi Rabstan, in an order passed last Friday, directed the state respondents to "keep the record of cabinet decision No. 50/04/2017 dated 28.04.2017 available on next date of hearing".

The court also directed the state respondents to file their reply to the petition within two weeks.

Chowdharys claim to the post was ignored by the state government when it fell vacant due to voluntary retirement of then incumbent Rafiq Ahmad Pampori in December 2015.

The government had given charge of the post to Qaiser Ahmad but Chowdhary successfully challenged it before the court.