The bereaved family of a doctor is running from pillar to post for the last one and a half years to get the pension and other benefits since his demise. The family members allege that the late Dr Rakesh Kumar Garg was harassed by his immediate superior Dr Deep Chand Kandpal during his posting at Pithoragarh and the salary of two months of Dr Garg was deliberately stopped by Dr Kandpal. Shockingly, Dr Garg was deprived of 16 annual salary increments due to departmental flaws.
Incidentally a departmental inquiry constituted by the Ayush department has also vindicated the charges of the family of Dr Garg. Dr Garg was appointed as Medical officer at Government Ayurvedic Hospital on March 12, 1992 and he served in Uttarakhand till 2005 when his services were shifted to Uttar Pradesh.
Ashish Garg who is the son of the late doctor told The Pioneer that the inquiry headed by Joint Director Santosh Singh has found that Dr Kandpal was responsible for illegally holding the salary of December 1997 and January 1998 of Dr Garg for more than six months with him before depositing it in the treasury.
He said that the inquiry by Dr Singh has also proved that the increments of Dr Garg were stopped as his service records were incomplete. Ashish further alleged that his father was victim of a conspiracy when he was suspended on September 1998. Interestingly when he was reinstated in July 1999 and sent to Pauri his incomplete service record was dispatched to Pauri due to which he failed to get further increments.
Similarly when his service was handed over to Uttar Pradesh his service records remained incomplete due to which he was forced to work on low pay till his death on October 8, 2013. A tearful Madhu Agarwal (widow of Dr Garg) said that her husband suffered endless misery as he did not offered bribe to his superiors during his stay in Uttarakhand. She said that the fact that he was getting only half of the salary than what his fellow doctors were getting pushed Dr Garg into a state of mental illness which resulted in his death.
When contacted the Additional secretary Ayush and Ayush Education Dr G B Oli told The Pioneer that an inquiry headed by Director Ayurveda Dr A K Tripathi is currently in progress on the matter. He said that the Dr Garg was an employee of Uttar Pradesh government and the department has sent all the relevant documents concerning him to UP. On the findings of the inquiry report of Dr Singh which indicts Dr Kandpal, the additional secretary Ayush said the inquiry was only a preliminary one and all facts would be revealed by the present inquiry which is headed by Director Ayurveda.