THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr Asha Kishore, former director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), has requested the institute to allow her to take voluntary retirement from service. The institute president, Dr V K Saraswat, has approved her request. Asha, who is currently the Professor of Neurology department at SCTIMST decided for the VRS after the High Court on Wednesday rejected her appeal challenging the order of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on cancelling the extension of her service as the director of the institute for five more years. Asha was appointed as the director in 2015. Her tenure in the institute will end only in 2025.
Dr Asha had completed her tenure on July 14, 2020 and the institute had decided to extend her service till February 2020. However, a group of doctors in the institute expressed dissent over the extension, and they approached CAT citing that her service extension was done without the approval from Cabinet Appointments Committee. The CAT dismissed the arguments of Asha She approached the High Court only to receive a setback. The court said the Centre has the authority to remove the director.
The Sree Chitra institute is a central government institution with autonomous power.
Dr Asha had earlier written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan alleging that a group of “disgruntled” employees were tarnishing the reputation of the institute. She had also alleged politics in the institute to sideline her. Sources said she attracted the wrath of a few of her colleagues as she was firm on official matters and preferred to select people only on the basis of merit.