Illegal Appointment at SKIMS: Vigilance Commission initiates Probe against HODs, Former Director

Srinagar: Senior faculty and former director at the renowned Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura have come under the scanner of the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) in the case of alleged illegal appointment.

According to a recent media report, the probe was conducted by SVC after receiving a complaint from a social activist recently. The present HODs of Radiotherapy and Radiation Physics and Bio-Engineering are under investigation for their role in the appointment made by relaxing rules to accommodate the "special" candidate.

It has been reported that one candidate was appointed as Senior Research Officer (SRO) during the tenure of former Director in the Department of Radiological Physics and Bio-Engineering in 2013.

The SKIMS officials stated that the appointment was allegedly made in violation of MCI rules.

Read Also: Illegal Hiring at Medical College: Medical Officer booked, 2 others arrested

The copy of the complaint which is with Kashmir Reader, read, “The candidate was appointed in violation to the MCI rules in 2013 because he is a related to both the HODs. They misused their official position to adjust him even as he was not eligible as per the MCI rules as PhD is the eligibility criteria for the post. However, the selected candidate doesn’t have the requisite qualification during the time of selection.”

According to sources, the duo, who was not the competent authority still went ahead and changed the selection criteria on “one-time basis” to induct the special candidate. They also managed to secure approval of the former director.

A senior official informed the daily, “They managed to bend rules by misleading the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) and Governing Body of SKIMS. They projected wrong selection criteria before them, even as they were enjoying the patronage of the former Director. It’s sheer breach of trust. Officials bend the rules by tampering with the actual rules and mislead the top bodies of the institution.