Nagpur: More skeletons tumble out of the notorious act of NMC’s Health Department appointing doctors on ad-hoc basis without due permission, and then offering them pay as per sixth pay commission. Moreover, it was learnt that these 12 doctors who were appointed on adhoc basis were even deprived of their salaries and other benefits. The NMC Officials do not have any of the documents like appointment orders, service books and letter of making these temporary doctors as eligible as permanent. This glitch points to another ploy by NMC Health Officials to gobble up the amount in the name of salaries of these doctors.
Chairman of Health Committee Devendra Mehar has already ordered probe into the alleged anomaly committed on the part of NMC. Congress corporator Yogesh Tiwari has pointed out that these doctors have been officially serving for the last couple of years.
Sources informed that some highly placed officials in NMC’s Health Department have made ‘secret understanding’ with these temporarily appointed doctors who were being shown as paid as per 6th pay commission but they were actually not getting what is being actually projected. For this reason, sources said, one of these doctors had tendered resignation but her resignation was not accepted subject to inquiry, and another doctor has been on leave as her payment was not disbursed since 2014.
How it all started?
In 2010 the Family Welfare Programme Department of Central Government had asked the Municipal Corporations to induct 12 Doctors and 97 Nurses for a Central Government run programme. There was an inordinate delay of nearly one year and six months in appointing 97 Nurses while the doctors were already appointed.
After a delay of one year six months, the file was sent to then NMC Commissioner Shyam Wardhane for signature. He refused to sign the file since there was a delay. Since there was a delay, the Central Government did not approve the programme for NMC and did not send the funds to run the programme. The 97 Nurses went to Court, but even the Court rejected the case.
However, there was no action initiated against any official of NMC who were responsible for the delay. Since the NMC did not receive the funds from the Central Government, they should have terminated the services of the 12 doctors too. This was not done for reasons best known to them.
These 12 doctors were appointed only on temporary basis, when were they made permanent is not known. According to a Maharashtra State Government Resolution (GR) dated 25/10/2010 No. 190/PLVA/2010 clearly states that only permanent staff of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation can be paid salaries according to the Pay Commission recommendations. Unfortunately for NMC and fortunately for the 12 doctors, they are now receiving salaries according to Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.
When asked who and how did these doctors get the status of permanent employee of NMC and their salaries paid according to Pay Commission Recommendations, some NMC Officers claimed that they have directly passed the order to pay them salaries according to pay commission recommendations.
In another Government Resolution (GR), it clearly states that nobody from the local municipal body has any right to fix the salaries, raise their salaries or pay increments except the ministry. The process is that the NMC should table the point in the house and after the house approves it they will send it to the ministry and get an approval.
Rs 2.9 cr loss!
Congress Corporator Yogesh Tiwari alleged the cash strapped Nagpur Municipal Corporation had to incur a loss of Rs two crores ninety six lakhs. He said when he asked for these documents through RTI that too was delayed. All that he received was an official letter which said that NMC does not have experience and knowledgeable staff to collect all documents.
Surprise! Surprise!
Who made the note sheet for the approval of the Doctors and their salaries? Well you will be surprised. This person Ramesh Panchgare who joined NMC as a person who sprayed pesticides was appointed as Lower Division Clerk (LDC). He was then promoted to Senior Clerk. He is the one who has been making the noting for signature of officials on regularization of salaries of these doctors.
These Doctors are the following working in various health posts
S.No. Name of the Doctor Place of Work
01 Dr Bakul Pande Somalwada Health Post
02 Dr Megha Jaitwar Kundanlal Gupta Nagar Health Post
03 Dr Arefa Ali Mominpura Health Post
04 Dr Meenakshi Mane Shende Nagar Health Post
05 Dr Snehal Pandav Jingabai Takli Health Post
06 Dr Sarla Land Dighori Health Post
07 Dr Manjusha Matpathi Jaitala Health Post
08 Dr Vasundhara Bhoyar Satranjipura Health Post
09 Dr Sameena Anjhum Bhaldarpura Health Post
10 Dr Vaidehi Shaha Resigned and not working
11 Dr Preeti Jharariya Gareebnawaz Nagar Health Post
12 Dr Heena Qureshi On Medical Leave
These Lady Doctors have availed Maternity leave
Dr Bakul Pande 6 months
Dr Snehal Pandav 6 months
Dr Vasundhara Bhoyar 11 days
Dr Heena Qureshi 6 months
However, sources claimed that if their duty starts at 10 am, they will reach the Health Post at 12:30 pm. During Night Duty, often, they sleep in their house and tell the Health Post staff to call them if some patients come.
The lady doctor named Dr Vaidehi Shaha has resigned from the post on September 2013 and has not been attending to her duties, yet the name has not been removed.
Partiality
In another gross partiality shown by the authorities of the NMC, while some temporary doctors enjoy salaries according to Sixth Pay Commission Recommendations, the regular doctors of 11 NMC’s hospitals are paid according to Fifth Pay Commission recommendations. There are 26 Public Health Centres run by Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Of these 26 PHCs, the personnel of 15 PHCs are paid salaries according to Sixth Pay Commission Recommendations, while the personnel of remaining 11 PHCs are paid salaries according to fifth Pay Commission Recommendations. Why this partiality is best known to the officials of NMC. The 11 PHCs include Matru Sewa Sangh Maternity Hospital Sitabuldi, Matru Sewa Sangh Maternity Hospital Mahal, Janata Maternity Home, Dalvi Hospital and Indira Gandhi Hospital where the doctors are on the permanent role of NMC.
According to Congress Corporator Yogesh Tiwari, he had raised this issue in the Health Committee Meeting. The Chairman of the Health Committee Devendra Meher directed an indepth probe in the allegations made by Tiwari. Sources said that Corporator Yogesh Tiwari has been called by the present Commissioner of Nagpur Municipal Corporation to discuss the issue on September 30, 2015.
