IAS babu at helm of TVVP stings doctors

Hyderabad: Appointment of K Manicka Raj, an IAS officer, Commissioner (full additional charge) of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) has not gone down well with the medical fraternity. Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) has approached High Court, seeking cancellation of the appointment citing violation of rules. According to doctors, Vaidya Vidhana Parishad was formed by a special Act of the Assembly and as per Section 3 (3) (a) of the said Act, the Commissioner shall be a reputed member of the medical profession with proven administrative ability.

However, this rule has been ignored by the government as it issued GO Rt No. 604 on October 31 appointing  K Manicka Raj, IAS, who is also discharging duties as CEO, Arogyasri Health Care Trust, as TVVP Commissioner (FAC), HRDA president, Dr K Mahesh Kumar, said. Manicka Raj is also holding the post of Additional Secretary in Telangana CMO (Chief Minister's Office).Earlier to the IAS officer's appointment, Dr B Shiva Prasad was at the helm of affairs as TVVP Commissioner from February 10, 2018 till his retirement in October the same year.

The HRDA said the State government had appointed three commissioners since 2014 and all were from medical profession. However, rules were ignored in the IAS officer's appointment, it said.After the doctors’ association filed a case in High Court making State government and TVVP as respondents, three hearings were held in which the counsel for the government was asked to explain the department stand.

Delay in the bifurcation of employees between TS and AP and hence the stop-gap arrangement for six to eight months was the explanation given by the government, Dr Mahesh said. The court had directed the government to give a reasonable time to appoint a full-time Commissioner with  medical background.In the hearing held on Wednesday, the government counsel said that steps would  be taken to appoint a doctor as Commissioner in a month as against 6 to 8 months asked earlier, HRDA president Dr K Mahesh Kumar said.

" Judge said a month’s time is too long, can give one week. Judge almost started dictating order to set aside GO but gave one day time to discuss this with Health Department. The case has been postponed to February 21," he added.