H&FW Dept probes appointments made without govt approval

Committee completes inquiry in 4 days; report submitted to Nagaland govt on April 28

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 29  

Another case of appointment to government service without government approval has come to the fore. This time, it is related to an unspecified number of alleged appointments made in the department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) from June 2014 till date.  

As per a government notification, a copy of which was acquired by The Morung Express, a departmental probe was instituted headed by the Deputy Secretary, H&FW as chairperson and officials from the H&FW Directorate as members. 

“A committee… is hereby constituted to examine all cases of appointment made without obtaining the approval of the government under Health & Family Welfare Department,” stated the notification issued by the Secretary, H&FW dated April 22. The committee was stipulated a period of four days to examine and submit “reports/findings on or before 26/04/2016.” The committee submitted its report to the government on April 28.  

Besides inquiring into appointments made without government approval, the task of the committee was to examine appointments made with the direction of the H&FW Minister beginning June 2014 till date and whether the “illegal appointment” made during the period was made against sanctioned post or without post vacancy.  

Appointments made prior to the assumption of office by the present H&FW Minister will be separately examined, the notification stated, copies of which were further endorsed to the Principal Director, H&FW, Commissioner & Secretary (C&S), H&FW, “P.P.S” to the H&FW Minister and others.  

According to the H&FW Secretary, Senti Ao, the committee submitted its report to the Commissioner & Secretary, the administrative head of the department, on April 28 and is pending further scrutiny.  

Stating the Commissioner & Secretary was still to examine the committee’s report as he is on leave, Ao added that the C&S along with the with the Minister in-charge of H&FW will likely have a seating with the committee to discuss the findings of the report. Ao could not give a date as to when the meeting will take place as the department will be in a brief transitional phase with the incumbent Principal Director of the department retiring on April 30.  

Declining to put a figure to the number of alleged illegal appointments, Ao when prodded further said that the appointments are mostly of Grade IV.  

The office of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary are reportedly unaware of the development. The Chief Secretary and the Principal Director, H&FW did not respond to calls made to get their comments.