CUTTACK: Orissa High Court has disapproved the engagement of Dr Lalitendu Sarangi as director-in-charge of Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC), Cuttack, by way of periodic extensions after his retirement on March 17, 2022.
The division bench of Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra and Justice Savitri Ratho, while disposing of a PIL on Thursday, directed the state government and AHPGIC to convene a meeting of the executive committee within a period of five days and recommend a panel of three professors after considering the eligibility criteria to the governing body for posting of the I/C director till the regular director is appointed by the selection committee.
“We are constrained to observe that the said short-circuited step as taken for engaging the director I/C completely violates Clause 11 (8) of the Bye-laws”, the bench observed. As per the Bye-law, in such situations, the executive committee is formed with eight members from three different departments of the government.
The bench ordered that the governing body will sit within seven days and engage the in-charge director till the regular director is appointed. “Till then, Dr Lalitendu Sarangi shall be allowed to continue, but thereafter he shall not be allowed to continue as the in-charge director and his engagement, as referred, shall automatically come to an end, in view of our order,” it ruled.
Chittaranjan Mohanty, a city-based social activist filed the PIL challenging the engagement of Dr Sarangi as director-in-charge after retirement and subsequent extensions. While making submissions on the petitioner’s behalf, advocate Sukanta Kumar Nayak pointed out that Dr Sarangi was appointed as regular director on May 13, 2015. He was to retire on superannuation of his service on March 17, 2022.
However, he was given the charge of director-in-charge for six months without the appointment of another regular director. His engagement was again extended from September 21, 2022, for another six months or till the regular director is appointed. While periodic extensions followed, the last one for three months was from June 19 or till the regular director was appointed, Nayak submitted.