Sharma can't leave city without Sushma's permission

CHANDIGARH: Union health and family welfare minister Sushma Swaraj has debarred suspended PGI director Prof S K Sharma from leaving Chandigarh without seeking prior permission from “competent authority�.
Swaraj, by virtue of being the Union health minister, is the president of PGI.
Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research director general Prof N K Ganguly, who was appointed as PGI’s officiating director when the Institute Body sent Prof Sharma on leave, has been asked to continue till further orders.As per the seniority list of professors, dated November 30, 2001, Prof Ganguly has attained the age of retirement on November 30.
Swaraj placed Prof Sharma under suspension with effect from December 5. The Union health ministry has forwarded copies of Prof Sharma’s suspension order to Prof Ganguly, deputy director (administration) Meeta Rajivlochan, financial adviser Harmeet Singh, director general health services Dr S P Agarwal among others.
It may be recalled that Swaraj had convened an emergency Institute Body meeting at New Delhi on September 29 to discuss charges of nepotism levelled against Prof Sharma. The charges pertained to alleged irregular appointment of a candidate, who happens to be Sharma’s relative, to the post of a junior engineer on ad hoc basis.
While Prof Sharma was asked by the Centre to temporarily discontinue holding the office of director, PGI, the Institute Body also resolved to institute an inquiry to probe charges against Prof Sharma. Swaraj herself chaired the Institute Body meeting.
Speaking to The Times of India, highly-placed sources in the PGI administration said that following suspension, Prof Sharma would not be eligible for any of the allowances, including the academic allowance which he enjoyed by virtue of being the director. During the first three months of his suspension, he would be entitled to only 50 per cent his basic pay and DA.
“The orders of the minister are crystal clear. Since Prof Sharma’s headquarters (read PGI) Chandigarh, he cannot leave station without obtaining prior permission from the competent authority. The competent authority in this case would obviously mean Swaraj herself. The inquiry against him is yet to be over,� said a senior official.
Meanwhile, hunt for the new director has also begun in view of the fact that Prof Sharma’s is due retire on March 31, 2004.
Names of few senior professors, including dean and head of radiodiagnosis department Prof Sudha Suri, head of gynaecology and obstetrics department Prof Sarala Gopalan, head of orthopaedics department Prof O Nagi, head of anaesthesia department Prof Pramila Chari, head of ENT department Prof S B S Mann and head of biochemistry department Prof Gopal Krishan Khullar, are doing rounds for the post.