Headless' RIMS stares at Imminent budget slash
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 28 2022:
Although the centre has been preaching about taking up various steps for the development of the north-eastern region, the non-appointment of a regular director or caretaker for Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal by the Ministry concerned till date says a lot.
The non-appointment, which has made RIMS into an authority-less institution, has further raised concerns of reduction in the budget, to be allocated to the institution in the next financial year.
According to a source, a single bench of Manipur High Court passed a ruling on December 19 quashing the appointment order of RIMS director Prof L Ranjit.
Since then, the Ministry concerned is yet to appoint a regular director or caretaker of the Institute.
Although the interview for appointment of a regular director of RIMS was conducted on December 22, the result is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, even though the Court had quashed the appointment order, Prof L Ranjit is still using the director's office, vehicle and security.
The absence of a regular director or caretaker has also led to the pending of important files over the past 10 days.
The annual budget for RIMS is around Rs 300 crore but the absence of a director for over 10 days has delayed file processing of contract works with expenditures amounting to crores of rupees.
This is further preventing issuance of utilisation certificates, thereby raising concerns of reduction in the allocation of the next annual budget of the Institute in the upcoming financial year.
Questioning the inaction on part of the Ministry in appointing a regular director of RIMS, the source said that it was unfortunate to have the Institute, claimed to be at the level of AIIMS, to function without an authority.
Almost all the important works pertaining to the administration of the hospital, staff grievance, procurement of medical equipment, daily wages and contract staff matters, forwarding RIMS' rules and regulations to North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) and others are pending.
If the Ministry fails to appoint a regular director at the earliest, the situation at RIMS could take a turn for the worse, the source expressed apprehension.