HAILAKANDI, Aug 17 � The chairman of the governing body of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) and PHE Minister Gautam Roy has ordered an enquiry into the entire process of appointment made by the Principal last week and the subsequent resignation of Dr MK Dey from the post of Superintendent of the college.
The Cachar Deputy Commissioner, Harendra Kumar Dev Mahanta, will probe the entire matter. The DC has already asked the Principal of SMCH, Dr Rekha A Sangma, to hand over all the relevant papers to him.
It may be mentioned here that a controversy was created in the SMCH after the appointment of 16 people last week by the principal and after the appointment, Superintendent Dr MK Dey resigned from the post alleging large scale anomalies in the appointment. Some of the local candidates alleged that the entire appointment process was conducted by the principal alongwith two peons of the college and the five members of the family of these peons have been appointed in different posts. They informed that an advertisement was published for the appointment of ward girls, clerks and peons in the college in the month of January and the viva voce was conducted on August 2 last and 16 candidates were appointed next day. After the release of the list of appointed candidates, Superintendent Dr MK Dey resigned immediately and alleged that he was not even discussed regarding the appointment. The deprived candidates have alleged that the huge amount of money has changed hands for the appointment through the two peons. The appointment of five members of family of two peons has created much suspicion among the candidates. They have also registered their protest in front of the college. They further alleged that the temporary poor employees were also not considered while preparing the list.
After receiving allegations of large scale anomalies in the entire appointment process, chairman Gautam Roy met the principal of the college, Dr Rekha A Sangma and strongly reacted on the issue. He asked the principal to hand over all the documents to the Cachar Deputy Commissioner. Roy condemned the attitude of the authority of the college regarding appointment and asked the principal not to compromise with the quality in exchange of any benefit. The principal on the other hand, has informed Roy that the appointments were made solely on the basis of merit and there were no anomalies.
Our Silchar correspondent adds: The dejected candidates said that there are so many persons who are working on a temporary basis and on fixed pay in the college for many years. These candidates were not selected. They said that if these temporary candidates had been selected, there would have been no allegation. But now they are bound to go the court.
Dr Sangma on the other hand brushed off the allegations as incorrects. The selection was free and fair, as there were both written and oral test. In the last 35 years of her service, there had been no such allegation. The Superintendent Dr Mrinal Kanti Dey said that when oral interview was going on he asked the principal to show him the list before finalising it. But the principal ignored him, so he resigned from the post.
