Srinagar, Feb 10: The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), a premier medical institution in Jammu and Kashmir, is facing severe criticism for allegedly flouting court directives and maintaining a culture of opacity in its administrative functioning. Three officials, including two women employees and a gazetted officer from the Department of Pharmacy, have been under suspension for nearly two years despite clear orders from the High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to revoke their suspension.
The controversy began on May 7, 2023, when the three officials were served suspension orders by the Joint Director of SKIMS. Notably, the orders did not specify any reasons for their suspension, raising questions about the transparency and fairness of the process. The suspended officials, aggrieved by the lack of justification, approached the High Court seeking clarity on their suspension. The court granted SKIMS three weeks to respond, but the institute allegedly ignored the directive, leaving the officials in limbo.
The suspended employees argued that their suspension violated the Civil Service Rules of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, which mandate that any official facing suspension must be provided with a clear explanation and an opportunity to present their case. Additionally, the suspension of a gazetted officer requires approval from the civil secretariat, a step that was reportedly skipped in this instance.
After months of silence, SKIMS finally issued a show-cause notice to the officials, accusing them of failing to properly verify bills from vendors under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. An inquiry was conducted in October 2023, led by Dr. Shariq Masoodi, the senior-most faculty member at SKIMS. The inquiry report, submitted a month later, highlighted the systemic challenges faced during the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme and recommended that the suspension of the three officials be reconsidered.
Despite the inquiry’s findings and subsequent High Court orders directing SKIMS to implement the recommendations, the institute has failed to reinstate the officials. Government norms stipulate that suspension cases must be resolved within six months. However, in this case, the suspension has dragged on for 23 months, with no valid explanation provided for the delay.
A senior official familiar with the case, who wished to remain anonymous, alleged that the prolonged suspension is a deliberate attempt to target specific individuals while shielding higher authorities. “This is a loss to the state exchequer. Suspended officials receive 75% of their salary as suspension allowance without performing any work. The government has set a time frame for resolving such cases to avoid unnecessary financial burden. Here, the case has been ignored for two years, and court orders have been blatantly disregarded. It appears to be a selective targeting, as the suspended officials were not even directly involved in the issue at hand. A deeper conspiracy to protect the ‘big fish’ seems to be at play,” the official said.
He added that the voucher verification committee, which includes an Accounts Officer, faculty in-charge, convener, and accounts clerk, is responsible for verifying bills related to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, however the question remains that why only three officials were singled out and suspended without any valid reason?
When contacted, Medical Superintendent was not available for comment.
