Transfers of 60 medical officers cancelled

The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal has cancelled transfers of about 60 senior medical officers after a deputy secretary from the public health department admitted that they were served backdated transfer orders on instructions from the office of State Minister for Medical Education Suresh Shetty.

The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) has cancelled transfers of about 60 senior medical officers after a deputy secretary from the public health department admitted that they were served backdated transfer orders on instructions from the office of State Minister for Medical Education Suresh Shetty.

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The tribunal had earlier cancelled transfers of 14 medical officers. Two benches of MAT Chairman, Justice S. Radhakrishnan and member, Justice S. R. Sathe, set aside the transfer orders because of being backdated and concocted.

A fortnight ago, the public health department had transferred the medical officers, along with 360 others working in medical colleges in the state. The transfers were part of the state government's attempt to fill in 2,700 vacant posts (out of 7218) in rural areas.

Though the transferred doctors belonged to the public health department, they were working in medical colleges under the medical department. Some doctors had challenged the transfers, saying the they were contrary to the prevailing legal provisions of the Transfers Act.