HC directs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 05 2023:
The High Court of Manipur has directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to give additional charge of Director, RIMS to Dr L Ranjit.
The HC further directed not to give effect to the order of May 1 issued by the Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (NE Section) regarding appointment of Guruaribam Sunil Kumar Sharma as RIMS Director but to keep the order in abeyance.
The High Court of Manipur quashed and set aside an order of October 27, issued by the Under Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, entrusting additional charge of Director, RIMS to Dr L Ranjit (Obst & Gynae, RIMS, Imphal, Manipur in the month of December last year.
The HC directed the authorities to allow Dr Hemam Priyosakhi Devi to hold the post of Director, RIMS, Imphal, pending regular appointment.
Dr Ranjit filed a writ petition for quashing the impugned order of entrusting the additional charge of Director to Dr Hemam Priyosakhi Devi but the Ministry appointed Dr Hemam Priyosakhi Devi as RIMS Director even as the writ petition was pending before the Court.
The HC observed that the Ministry entrusted the additional charge of Director, RIMS, Imphal to Hemam Priyosakhi Devi based on the seniority list of Professors, RIMS, Imphal as on July 25, 2015 .
But Dr L Ranjit's name was found at serial No 1 while Priyosakhi's was found at serial No 5 in the seniority list of RIMS Professors on January 9, 2023 .
The High Court's ruling passed on June 3 stated that the appointment of Dr Guruaribam Sunil Kumar Sharma to the post of Director, RIMS was without the leave of Court.
Asserting that Dr L Ranjit is the senior most Professor and had already held the additional charge of Director, RIMS and also, he is likely to be superannuated in the month of September, 2023, the High Court, in the interest of justice and equity, directed the respondents to consider giving the charge post of RIMS Director to Dr L Ranjit till his retirement in the month of September 2023 .