Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday banned all the medical and paramedical staff of SKIMS from pursuing any private practice in private hospitals and individual clinics.
According to an order, the employees of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, including medical and paramedical staff, have been asked to refrain from indulging in private practice of any manner. The employees have been directed to comply with the order strictly, failing which each employee will attract penalty as well as become liable for criminal persecution under the relevant provisions of law.
’’Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, no member of Medical or Paramedical Staff of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar shall indulge in private practice in any manner”, reads the order.
It added that if the employees of SKIMS are found to have acted against the rules, this will result in major penalties against them as well as attracting criminal prosecution under the relevant provisions of law after being considered as misconduct of their duties.
“In case any member of Medical or Paramedical Staff of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar is proved to have acted in breach of sub-rule(i), it shall amount to misconduct attracting major penalty, besides he shall be liable for criminal prosecution under the relevant provisions of law”, read the order further.
The order, which has been issued by the Commissioner Secretary to the government, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, says that the directions barring the private practice of SKIMS employees have been issued by the Lieutenant Governer of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, after exercising the powers conferred by the provision of Article 309 of the Constitution.
‘’In exercise of the powers conferred by provision of Article 309 of the Constitution, the Lieutenant Governer is hereby pleased to direct that after sub-rule(4) of rule 10 of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct Rules, 1971, the following sub-rule shall be added; namely 5”, added the order.

KALEEM GEELANI