NIMS director Dr A Dharmarakshak moved the vacation bench of the High Court on Monday challenging the state government’s decision to constitute a search committee to appoint a person on a regular basis as director of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences.
The government has, as per its assurance given to the High Court, constituted a three-member search committee headed by minister for medical education K Murali Mohan to look for a suitable person to lead the NIMS.
Principal secretary (medical & health) Ajay Sawhney and president of Public Health Foundation of India K Sreenath Reddy are the other two members.
Dr Dharmarakshak, in his petition, submitted that the committee, constituted in 2010, had recommended a panel of three candidates for consideration to the post of director and, basing on it, the president of NIMS appointed him as director in September 2011 for a period of one year. His term was later extended for another year. As his extended term will last till September this year, there cannot be any parallel move initiated by the government to appoint a director afresh.
“My appointment on September 30, 2011 was made under Section 17(1) of the NIMS Act and on the basis of recommendations of the search committee. I am entitled to hold the post for a period of one more year.”
He submitted that neither the government nor the NIMS president filed a counter on the quo warranto petition in the High Court filed by Dr KR Balaram who challenged his appointment and made allegations against him and the matter was still pending before the court.
The matter is expected to come up for hearing on Wednesday.