Chandigarh Health secretary orders crackdown on doctors overstaying deputation, directs repatriation in phases

According to details with The Indian Express, of the 112 doctors seeking extension, 18 are in the bracket of completing 15 to 20 years in Chandigarh, 20 in the bracket of completing 10 to 15 years, 30 in the bracket of completing seven to 10 years and four who have already completed 20 years in Chandigarh.

In the letter issued to the Director Health Services by the Health Secretary Yashpal Garg, copy of which is with The Indian Express, he specified and quoted instances how some of the doctors who came on deputation stayed even till their retirement.

Few days back, a proposal was received from the Directorate of Health Services for extension of deputation period of 112 doctors (SMOS/MOs/dental surgeons) for another year from March this year to February 28 next year.

As per the details, it was found by the Health Secretary that most of the doctors wanting extension are continuing on deputation for more than seven years and some of them are continuing for the last more than 20 years as well.

Garg said that normally, the deputation period is of three years which may further be extended upto five years in certain cases and in exceptional circumstances up to seven years.

“If we go strictly as per the rules/instructions, 72 doctors should be repatriated to their parent cadre immediately. It seems that we have not properly managed the cadre and kept on extending the deputation tenures. The excuse that panels are not being sent by Punjab and Haryana cannot be accepted because we have also not repatriated/relieved the doctors on completion of their tenures,” the Health Secretary said in the letter written to the DHS.

He also quoted instances where doctors have continued deputation for even 25 years to 30 years.

“There are many instances where doctors have continued on deputation for 25 years to 30 years and were repatriated/relieved on the day of their retirement on superannuation. We need to break this cycle/nexus and should start relieving on completion of deputation tenure and properly pursue for the panels from Punjab and Haryana,” Garg said in the letter.

Garg mentioned that “allowing deputations for such exceptionally longer durations is defeating the very purpose of provision of deputation in the notified Recruitment Rules and if Punjab and Haryana are not sending panels, then they should have taken eligible doctors on deputation from Himachal Pradesh and other UTs instead of extending the deputation period in gross violation of instructions.”

He however mentioned that though further extension of deputation period beyond seven years will be in gross violation of the instructions or rules, yet in view of the ongoing pandemic and the peculiar situation where most of
the doctors have completed seven years of deputation, it may not be possible to repatriate all of them in one go and thus will be done in a staggered manner.

He stated that to “streamline the existing mess”, extension in the period of deputation and repatriation of the 112 doctors will be done in a staggered manner.

He directed that all the four doctors who have completed more than 20 years of continuous deputation be repatriated with effect from March 1, 2022, on expiry of the existing extended the deputation period without any further extension.

The 38 doctors (18+20) who have completed more than 10 to 20 years of continuous deputation will be allowed last extension upto September 30, 2022 and they have to go back to their parent cadre. They are to be repatriated with effect from October 1, 2022 i.e. on expiry of the further extended deputation period.

Yet again, all the 30 doctors who have completed more than seven to 10 years of continuous deputation to be allowed a last extension upto December 31, 2022 and they are to be repatriated with effect from January 1, 2023, i.e. on expiry of the further extended deputation period.

All the remaining 40 doctors (8+32) who have completed less than seven years of continuous deputation will be
allowed an extension up to February 28 next year, Garg said.

He also directed that a fresh panel of eligible doctors for deputation as per the recruitment rules be called from Punjab and Haryana immediately.

Garg also said that to take care the eventuality of non-getting panels from Punjab and Haryana, all the states forward the names of the eligible, willing doctors for deputation and a public notice to this effect be also issued.