Notice to Centre on Dr Venugopal's plea for Valiathan report

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the Union government and Ministry of Health to file their replies to the demand of AIIMS Director P Venugopal for the supply of the report of the Dr M S Valiathan Committee, constituted by the Centre to look into the autonomy of the premier medical institute.

Justice Anil Kumar asked the respondents to file their replies to the application by February 22, the next date of hearing.

Dr Venugopla's Counsel Maninder Singh submitted that he could only file a reply to the affidavit of the government on the removal of the AIIMS Director after he was provided with the copy of a report.

The Court also extended the stay of removal of Dr Venugopal till February 22, 2007.

Senior Counsel P N Lekhi had appeared for the AIIMS and opposed the move to supply the copy of the report to the AIIMS Director.

Mr Singh said the AIIMS had referred to the Valiathan Committee report in its affidavit which filed countering the allegations; and the government was bound to provide him with a copy of the report.

It is presumed that the Valiathan Committee in its report had said that the Health Minister and Health Secretary should not be in the Institute Body(IB), the highest decision making body, for giving more autonomy to the institute.

Besides Dr Valiathan, former Director of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram, the committee comprises Mr M K Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology; Mr P K Hota, the then Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary; and Mr R K Srivastava, Director General of Health Services.

The Centre had constituted the committee in June, 2006 following the war of words between Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and AIIMS Director P. Venugopal.

The Committee gave its report after three months of deliberations to turn the premier institution into a centre of excellence and a leader in public health services in the country.

Justice Anil Kumar on July 7, 2006 had stayed the move to terminate the job of Dr Venugopal on the ground that the intended action was "vitiated in law" and devoid of the principles of natural justice.

UNI PAT MSJ BS1801