HC holds two top health dept officials guilty of contempt

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has held two top health department officials guilty of contempt of court in a promotion case of an associate professor of Government Medical College, Patiala. The two officials are secretary, health, Vikas Pratap and director, medical education and research, Punjab, Dr Sujata Sharma.

The order was passed by the high court bench of justice Jaswant Singh on the petition of Dr Kuldip Singh an associate professor of biochemistry.

This order comes days after the court convicted IAS officer Shivdular Singh Dhillon and Bathinda food controller Jaspreet Singh Kahlon for contempt of court in a matter involving delay in payments to some persons in state’s Atta-Dal scheme on February 3.

The high court had disposed of Dr Kuldip Singh’s petition on June 3, 2016, directing that the petitioner be promoted in terms of the recommendations made by departmental promotion committee (DPC), which recommended his promotion to the post of professor.

However, the court was apprised on Tuesday that the DPC constituted in 2016 has been scrapped and a fresh order would be passed shortly.

The court orally observed that DPC could not have been scrapped and in case the state wanted to contest the order, it should file a review petition.

“From the reading of the affidavit, it is evident that the respondents are guilty of contempt of court for having violated the directions contained in the order dated June 3, 2016, passed by this court,” the high court bench said, summoning Vikas Partap and Dr Sujata Sharma on March 15 for facing further contempt proceedings.

HEALTH SECY VIKAS PRATAP AND MEDICAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR SUJATA SHARMA FACE COURT ACTION