Cheque Bounce Cases against Gian Sagar Medical College withdrawn

Chandigarh: Much to the relief of authorities at Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust, at least half of the staff including doctors and teachers, have withdrawn multiple cheque bounce cases that they had filed against the trust.

This comes after the authorities agreed to pay the salaries of the staff, which are outstanding even before the medical college’s controversial shutdown. With 50 per cent cases being extracted by the complainants, the senior authorities of the institute, who might be made the offenders in the case, would breathe a sigh of relief. However, 50 per cent of these cases are still left to be withdrawn, which can emerge as a matter of concern.

Medical Dialogues has extensively reported about the shutdown and revival of Gian Sagar Medical College and Dental College. The Medical Council of India (MCI) and Dental Council of India (DCI) withdrew the recognition of dental and medical college of the Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust.

The medical institutes were shut down in February 2017.

This had been done in the absence of the trust management coming up with any concrete revival plan for the institute facing a financial crisis. The government at that time also announced the shifting of medical and dental students to other medical institutions operating across the state.

Read Also: 1500 students including 500 MBBS students of Gian Sagar Medical College to be shifted

However, with the trust management being not paid the salaries of its employees, protests had already intensified in April 2017. Their salaries had been pending since October 2016.

Brahm Mohindra, Health and Family Welfare, Research and Medical Education, had clarified that time that the students were the only responsibility of the state government, as they were admitted through state held medical tests, while it was the management of private medical college, which had hired the employees, and had shirked paying salaries to them. Thereby, implying the onus of responsibility for it lay with the management and not the government.

Read Also: Gian Sagar Closure: Where will the faculty, employees go?

Over a year later in July 2018, Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Punjab, had granted provisional essentiality certificate to the Gian Sagar Medical College and Dental College for filling 100 MBBS and 100 BDS seats respectively, and the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), a provisional consent of affiliation to the medical institute.

However, a protest call of the faculty members dimmed the joy of reopening, with medical/dental teachers staging a protest against the institutes’ management, demanding salary clearance.

More than 100 doctors (teaching staff) of Medical and Dental Gian Sagar College approached the education tribunal in Mohali for the issuance of directions to Gian Sagar Trust to clear outstandings that range between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore.

Read Also: Gian Sagar Medical College reopens, faculty protests for pending salaries

A couple days ago too, nine of the medical college’s former PG students, who were shifted to another medical college after its shutdown, moved the education tribunal seeking directions to the medical college to pay back their outstanding dues. The PG medicos have submitted in their petition that the medical college had stopped their stipends of Rs. 45,990 per month for the academic year 2016-2017, violating the rules of the apex Medical Council of India (MCI).

Read Also: Violations of MCI norms: Former PG Medicos of Gian Sagar Medical College approach Tribunal

Now, during a resumed hearing in a Chandigarh district court, the trust top authorities gave demand drafts to other 26 staff members. Since demand drafts have been handed over to the majority of staff members, the court was informed that both parties had mutually and amicably resolved the matter, reports TOI.

It was submitted that petitioners, along with respondents, “had amicably and mutually resolved the matter on certain condition with regard to outstanding salaries.”

The daily adds that the withdrawal of all complaints is going to help the Chairman of Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust, Dr Singh, whom the court has directed to appear on January 7, failing which, he could be declared a proclaimed offender in the case.

The next hearing on the matter will be done on January 8.