NEW DELHI: The health ministry has clarified that 2002-batch IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who joined AIIMS as deputy secretary in 2012, has only been relieved of his duties as the institute's chief vigilance officer (CVO) to avoid objections from Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
In a report submitted before the Prime Minister, health secretary Lov Verma said CVC had written to the ministry asking why the officer was appointed as CVO without its approval, which is mandatory.
Earlier in 2009, the CVC held a meeting with the health secretary to appoint an independent CVO at AIIMS, instead of handing over the job to an AIIMS official as an additional charge. The CVC felt the current practice was preventing adequate attention to issues of vigilance.
Health ministry sources claim the UPA-led government was inconsistent in its action in the matter but the new dispensation has stuck to its stand that the appointment was not as per rules.
The health ministry, led by Ghulam Nabi Azad initially, had wanted to shift Chaturvedi to AYUSH department but the move was subsequently dropped. Also, when the CVC raised questions over the appointment of Chaturvedi as CVO, the ministry had justified it by citing the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) of AIIMS meeting of July 2010 which felt that a full time was not required in AIIMS. This recommendation was approved by the governing body of AIIMS in November 2010, which was chaired by Azad.
However, the ministry has now moved away from this position. In his letter to the PM, Verma states: "The internal decision of the institute (AIIMS) to assign the charge of CVO to Chaturvedi is not in accordance with the CVC guidelines. This long-standing anomaly has now been corrected".
The letter was followed by a telephonic discussion on the matter between the PM and the health minister regarding relieving of additional charge of CVO AIIMS from Chaturvedi. "It was a general query made by the PMO and there was no disenchantment against the ministry action," sources in the PMO told TOI.
Health minister Harsh Vardhan has also made it clear that the decision will not be reversed. Chaturvedi is still serving as the deputy secretary in AIIMS.
In a report submitted before the Prime Minister, health secretary Lov Verma said CVC had written to the ministry asking why the officer was appointed as CVO without its approval, which is mandatory.
Earlier in 2009, the CVC held a meeting with the health secretary to appoint an independent CVO at AIIMS, instead of handing over the job to an AIIMS official as an additional charge. The CVC felt the current practice was preventing adequate attention to issues of vigilance.
Health ministry sources claim the UPA-led government was inconsistent in its action in the matter but the new dispensation has stuck to its stand that the appointment was not as per rules.
The health ministry, led by Ghulam Nabi Azad initially, had wanted to shift Chaturvedi to AYUSH department but the move was subsequently dropped. Also, when the CVC raised questions over the appointment of Chaturvedi as CVO, the ministry had justified it by citing the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) of AIIMS meeting of July 2010 which felt that a full time was not required in AIIMS. This recommendation was approved by the governing body of AIIMS in November 2010, which was chaired by Azad.
However, the ministry has now moved away from this position. In his letter to the PM, Verma states: "The internal decision of the institute (AIIMS) to assign the charge of CVO to Chaturvedi is not in accordance with the CVC guidelines. This long-standing anomaly has now been corrected".
The letter was followed by a telephonic discussion on the matter between the PM and the health minister regarding relieving of additional charge of CVO AIIMS from Chaturvedi. "It was a general query made by the PMO and there was no disenchantment against the ministry action," sources in the PMO told TOI.
Health minister Harsh Vardhan has also made it clear that the decision will not be reversed. Chaturvedi is still serving as the deputy secretary in AIIMS.
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