BJP-led Himachal Pradesh govt preys on corona warriors, misutilised COVID funds: alleges Congress

While the entire nation is showing gratitude to thousands of frontline corona warriors, the BJP-led Himachal Pradesh government seems to be preying on health officials who have been serving people while risking their own lives amid COVID crisis.

Contrary to the efforts by Indian Defence forces that conducted flypasts across the country to show admiration and gratitude towards health professionals, the Himachal Pradesh government forced a senior medical professional Dr Mukand Lal, Principal of the state’s prestigious Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH), Shimla, to step down.

Interlingually the government in its order (May 8, 2020) states “As per his request dated 6.5.2020, Dr. Mukand Lal is relieved of the duties, responsibility and charge of the post of Principal, IGMC, Shimla with immediate effect. Henceforth, he will function as Professor and Head, Department of Orthopaedics, IGMC, Shimla, in public interest.

Sources, in the health department disclosed that the IGMCH is considered a ‘milch cow’ by the lawmakers and senior functionaries of the government and Dr Mukand, since his appointment as the head of IGMCH, had become a bone of contention for them. A politically well-connected lobby had been trying hard to remove Dr Lal from the post so that they can fulfil their vested interests.

The state government promoted Dr Mukand Lal as Principal, IGMCH, in June 2019 and in less than five months (November 16, 2019) he was transferred to Government Medical College, Nahan. Challenging the orders, Dr Lal approached Shimla High Court. A division Bench comprising Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary and Justice Anoop Chitkara passed an interim order on a petition filed by Dr. Mukand Lal alleging therein that he has been transferred from the IGMC, Shimla, to Nahan, while ignoring the Himachal Pradesh Medical Education Service Rules, 2019. Passing the interim order the court had further directed the state government to file its reply and listed the matter for further hearing on December 24, 2019.

Caught on a wrong foot the government, rather filing its reply in the court, withdrew its orders on November 23, 2019.

Amid corona crises, the Jai Ram Thankur led Himachal Pradesh government should have applauded the health professionals, but instead it has demoralised the doctor fraternity, feel health professionals.

The decision has not only raised doubts over the functioning of the state government but also on the competence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who is also the state health minister.

Alleging misutilisation of COVID funds at a large scale by the Jai Ram government, senior Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri has made a written complaint to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking his immediate intervention in the issue. In this complaint, Agnihotri has also alleged that the Jai Ram government has misutilised about 2.75 lakhs from the COVID fund in purchasing smart phones which was not required in this hour of crises.

He has also accused the government of being involved in ‘sanitizer scam’ as it bought the disinfectant at a much higher cost against the market price. He has further alleged that the government has even supplied ‘rain coats’ for the corona warriors instead of PPE kits at some places.

He also expressed his apprehension that the government, under pressure from a section forced IGMCH principal Dr. Mukand Lal, an honest and renowned orthopaedic surgeon of the region, to step down.

The BJP government has been involved in vendetta politics and forcing IGMCH’s head to step down was clear cut case of revenge, said state Congress Chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore. He said that the government must revert its orders.

To air his resentment against the state government’s decision on Dr Mukand Lal, senior Congress leader Rajesh Dharmani, former MLA from Ghumarwin, took to social media (Facebook) and wrote: “It is a blatant white lie. He has been forced to write this so called request. Health professionals are being cheered in the whole world for their indomitable spirit of serving the mankind by risking their own lives but at the same time, Himachal Govt is mistreating them. It is ironic and disgusting.
Dr. Mukand Lal is a big name in his field and person of repute following high moral, ethical and professional standards. It is shameful that our govt is punishing the honest and sincere professionals just to achieve the ulterior motives of the corrupt manipulators.”

Dr Mukand Lal, however, claims to have voluntarily stepped down from the post as he was feeling uncomfortable with the system.