PATNA: The Patna high court has expressed its apprehension that the state government’s medical colleges may get derecognised as 2,083 out of the 3,309 posts of assistant and associate professors and professors were lying vacant at these institutions.
The bench of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh on Tuesday made the oral observation while hearing two writ petitions filed by 11 teaching staff of these colleges. The petitioners were earlier appointed by the health department as assistant professors, associate professors or professors in different government medical colleges across Bihar in the last 10-12 years. Those who were appointed as assistant or associate professors were even promoted to professor rank. Later, they were selected through Bihar Public Service Commission for the assistant professor post despite becoming professors over the years.
The petitioners, represented by counsels PK Shahi, YV Giri and Shashi Bhushan Kumar, moved the high court in December last year urging that the authorities concerned be directed to take into account their experience and appoint them as professors against the lrge number of vacant posts in that rank.
The bench on July 12 had sought from the state government the details of sanctioned and vacant posts of assistant professors, associate professors and professors.
The government, through a supplementary affidavit, submitted that there were altogether 3309 sanctioned posts of the three ranks in the government medical colleges in Bihar and 2083 were lying vacant.
There are 1788 sanctioned posts of assistant professors against which 409 are working as regular appointees, 306 are working on contract and the rest 1073 posts are vacant. Similarly, there are 1039 sanctioned posts of associate professors, of which 257 are filled up with regular appointments, 100 through contract and 682 posts are lying vacant. In the professor rank, 91 are regular appointees, 63 on contract and 328 posts are lying vacant against the 482 sanctioned posts.
The court was also apprised that all necessary steps are being taken by the health department to fill up the vacant posts.
However, the bench remained dissatisfied and directed the chief secretary to reply as what steps are being taken to fill up the vacant posts in all three ranks and action being taken to address the grievance of the petitioners, who were already working on a higher position.
The bench also observed that a division bench of this high court had passed an order last year that vacant posts be filled up by regular appointments and not on contract. The court would hear the matter again on August 17.
