KOCHI: The battle over the post of director of health services (DHS) is set for a decisive turn, with the High Court reserving for Tuesday its verdict on the government’s challenge to a tribunal order that allowed Dr K J Reena to continue as DHS.
The High Court on Monday heard the appeal filed by the health department against a Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) order staying the government’s decision to transfer Dr Reena from the post.
The dispute has triggered an administrative standoff at the top of the health department at a time when Kerala is witnessing a rise in communicable diseases. The controversy has also led to dramatic scenes at the directorate of health services, Thiruvananthapuram, over the past few days.
For the past two days, Dr Reena has been reporting for duty armed with the tribunal’s order permitting her to continue as DHS. However, she has been unable to effectively discharge her responsibilities, with Dr V Meenakshi, who was given temporary charge by the government, occupying the director’s office and functioning as the directorate head.
Dr Reena had approached the tribunal, challenging the government’s decision to transfer her to the post of director of the public health laboratory in Ernakulam. She argued that the move bypassed her seniority and amounted to an unlawful demotion.
In her petition, Dr Reena also alleged that the health department had sought to publicly discredit her by claiming that she had taken 15 days of leave during a period when the state was grappling with a communicable disease threat.
She further contended that the Special Rules governing appointments to the post of DHS do not prescribe any fixed tenure and therefore did not justify her removal from the position.
Another key argument raised by Reena was that the transfer order was procedurally flawed. According to her, an order of such significance should have been processed and approved by the additional chief secretary, but was instead prepared by a joint secretary in violation of established norms.
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