Affected doctors need to be heard: HC

Chandigarh, Feb 17 (PTI) The Punjab and Haryana HighCourt today made it clear that the affected doctors needed tobe heard before a final decision was taken in the medicalofficers'' selection case.

The court also allowed four Punjab Public ServiceCommission (PPSC) members -� Anil Sarin, D S Mahal, Brig(Retd) D S Grewal and Ravinder Kaur -� to be impleaded asparties to the pending petition in the alleged rip-off onselection of 312 doctors.

Directing that further proceedings in the matter betaken up from May 16, the Division Bench of Chief JusticeRanjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih also orderedthe publication of a notice in newspapers informing thedoctors on the pendency of the case against the selections.

The much-hyped vigilance bureau report did find amention in today''s proceedings, but no orders were passed inthe open court for taking it on record.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau had recently submitted itsreport on the recruitment of doctors by the PPSC.

The Commission was assigned the task of recruiting 100doctors in 2008 and 212 doctors in 2009. The selection cameunder heavy criticism with candidates claiming that manymeritorious candidates were rejected in favour of the kin ofinfluential politicians, bureaucrats, senior doctors andrelatives of present and past members of the PPSC.

Complaints ranged from interview boards asking frivolousquestions to interviews lasting barely two minutes to thepanel questioning their sincerity for serving in rural areas.

Petitions challenging the selection were filed beforethe high court, which ordered an inquiry into the recruitment.

Taking note of the contention that the vigilance bureaureport was "leaked" to the media, the Bench simply observedthat it was doing its job. The case will now come up forfurther hearing on May 16.