With only one working day remaining for the State Government to take a decision on giving extension to the present Director-General (DG) of Health Services, Dr R P Bhatt who is scheduled to superannuate on January 31, an atmosphere of confusion prevails in the State health department.
Speculations are rife in the health department on whether or not the incumbent DG would be able to get extension in service are going on. Usually the health department does not give service extension on the top post but considering the influence the present DG, Dr Bhatt yields and his open desire for extension the issue is a hotly debated one among the health fraternity. It is learnt that the health department has forwarded the ball in the court of state Chief Minister Harish Rawat to make a decision on the matter of extension.
The present DG though is pulling all the strings for the extension most of the officers of the health department are of the view that it would be a wrong precedent if the state government falls to the maneuvering of Dr Bhatt and grant him an extension. The extension if given could disturb the promotional avenues for many officers of state health services. In case Dr Bhatt retires on January 31, Director medical health Dr Kusum Narriyal would be the new DG. This promotion would also trigger promotion from the ranks to Additional Director to Director. Dr Narriyal is expected to serve DG for a period of 22 months as she is scheduled to retire on November 2017. Present DG Dr Bhatt assumed office on May 31 after he took over from Dr G S Joshi. The term of Dr Bhatt was lackluster though he can claim that he was allowed to work for only for a period of eight months. One of senior officer of state health services on condition of anonymity told this correspondent that present DG did nothing exceptional and one fails to understand on what ground he is trying for an extension. If extension is given to DR Bhatt, in all probability the matter would go in the court, said a source. Interestingly, the PMHS of government doctors too is not interested to support r Bhatt.