Cabinet doesn’t clear ordinance to fix AIIMS chief’s term

The efforts of the Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss to bring an ordinance fixing the term of Director of the All India...

The efforts of the Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss to bring an ordinance fixing the term of Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) suffered a set back today as it failed to get the nod of the Cabinet.

It is learnt that the Cabinet was averse to the idea of bringing the ordinance when the winter session of Parliament was already announced. It may be noted that the winter session of Parliament is slated to start from November 15. However, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi has said that the ordinance would be the first thing to be discussed in the Winter Session.

The Cabinet was also of the view that since the matter has already been brought up earlier it would not be appropriate to bring the ordinance on the same issue. The ordinance, if passed, could have evicted Dr Venugopal from his post. This is however not the first time that the Minister has tried to get the ordinance cleared. It was last put before the Cabinet on October 1. However, then it could not be taken up because of the Law Minister’s absence.

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The Bill seeking to amend the relevant Act (the AIIMS and the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Bill) was introduced in Parliament on August 17 this year and is awaiting legislative deliberations.

It seeks to fix the term of the director for five years from the day the director assumes office or till he/she attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier.

“Once this Bill becomes law, it will also empower the Centre to terminate the services of the director even before his term expires for the sake of public interest,” said a senior official in the Health Ministry.

For Kolkata, the IMD has forecast mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate rain or thundershowers on most days through Panchami.

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