Haryana HC questions outsourcing of jobs at Govt Medical College, asks Centre to file reply

‘It is a government institution and the Government Medical College is not created for a limited period.’ Express Archives

Stating that the Government Medical College is part and parcel of Chandigarh and must create posts and follow the recruitment rules of the Centre, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has questioned the outsourcing of various posts in the institute and asked the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms to file a response for resorting to such a recruitment method which violates the law and administrative guidelines.

“It is a government institution and the Government Medical College is not created for a limited period so as to resort for outsourcing employees and employees are engaged through outsourcing by merely paying minimum wages, irrespective of categories of posts. In other words, pay attached to the posts are being denied,” the High Court has said in an order passed last week.
The High Court observations have come in a writ petition filed by some of the hospital Security-cum-Fire Inspectors whose salary was suddenly reduced in 2012-13. They had approached the High Court saying they are entitled for same pay as given earlier by the authorities.

Observing that the authorities are “side tracking” the government policies issued from time to time for the purpose of recruitment and promotions, Justice P B Bajanthari in the order, dated September 22, has said, “[The] issuance of executive order for employing employees through outsourcing and not identifying vacancies or posts [has] resulted in mis-management of fixing the pay of different posts…”

The director principal of the medical college, Dr A K Janmeja, said he had not yet received the High Court order and would not be able to comment on it. Janmeja, however, confirmed that many posts, including of the Security-cum-Fire Inspectors, are outsourced for the functioning of the medical college.

While asking the authorities to answer whether the Central government policies are adhered from time to time, the High Court has also observed that the temporary employees can commit “any serious misdeeds” and no action can be initiated against them under the Discipline and Appeals Rules.

“They should have framed rules of recruitment in respect of employees of the Government Medical College…Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms is hereby directed to file an affidavit as to why employees for the purpose of running the Government Medical College are being appointed through outsourcing to pay minimum wages and there is no security of appointment,” it has said.