Bending its own policies,the Himachal Pradesh government has approved deputation of two doctors,who were selected against specific vacancies for Dr Rajendra Pradesh Medical College,Tanda (Kangra),and now will be deployed at Indira Gandhi Medical College,Shimla. Under the cadre bifurcation policy,framed last year,two colleges are supposed to have separate cadres. The recruitment and promotion of doctors and teaching faculties at both stations will remain defined within their cadres. Sources said the government ordered that Dr Rama Thakur,who was selected by the Himachal Pradesh Public Services Commission for Dr Rajendra Pradesh Medical College,Tanda (Kangra) in the gynaecology department from the general category,and Dr Sanjay Mahajan for the Department of Medicines. Both had applied for being adjusted at Shimlas IGMC against a post reserved for the other backward classes (OBC). Principal Secretary (Health) P C Dhiman confirmed that the government has decided to grant a deputation of one year to the doctors from Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College. Its a normal practice to grant such deputations in the government service. Even,IAS officers have this facility to serve outside the cadre and then return to the parent place. There is no dilution of the policy. They have to go back to the cadres,when or if the posts here are filled-up. Yet,he admitted,this was an exception after cadre-bifurcation of the two colleges to solve the problem of doctors from IGMC not agreeing to serve Tanda. The Indian Express had earlier applied under the RTI Act for information about the two doctors having approached the government for accommodating them at IGMC,instead of Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College,for which they were selected against the posts advertised by the Public Service Commission. A senior medical college official at Tanda said the governments move would open a Pandoras Box for deputation seekers as there were more than 60 doctors working reluctantly at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College. The government was planning to start postgraduate courses at Tanda. The move will cause a severe blow, said a senior professor at Tanda.
