Srinagar: In a major relief to Director SKIMS, Dr A G Ahangar who was attached and directed to report to the General Administration Department (GAD), the Jammu and Kashmir High Court stayed the state government’s order of removing him from his post.

Justice M K Hanjura, while hearing a petition filed by Dr Ahangar through his counsel Zaffar A Shah, issued the stay on the order by which he was removed from the post and asked to report to GAD.

Notably, Dr Ahanger was removed unceremoniously last week by the state government, after three senior faculty members of the institute were found indulging in private practice even after drawing Non-Practicing Allowances (NPA) from the institute.

While Ahangar was attached to the general administration department, the doctors were suspended by the government and were asked to report to the office of Divisional Commissioner Srinagar.

“The petition filed by Dr Ahangar was considered by Justice M K Hanjura. The court ordered for the stay on the government order issued on January 6, 2018,” said Dr Ahanger’s Counsel, Zaffar A Shah.

As per his counsel, Dr A G Ahanger will be able to resume his charge as Director SKIMS, until the next hearing which has been scheduled for 31 January.

The Court decision on the government order has been welcomed by the Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) President Dr Suhail Naik, saying that the decision has restored the dignity and respect of the highest chair of SKIMS as he was made a ‘scapegoat’ evolving out of recent incidents.

President DAK also appealed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to intervene in this serious issue with her immense expertise, “evolve a fool proof mechanism to shun off lobbyism and politics from SKIMS so that patient care is not affected and simultaneously no body becomes a scapegoat of filthy politics,” he said.

Pertinently, earlier today a delegation of DAK visited SKIMS where in they expressed solidarity with the protesting Resident Doctors Association, SKIMS and had assured full support till the reinstatement of Director SKIMS.

Guest