Director Health Kashmir Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman attached

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, May 19: In a dramatic development, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government has attached Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman within days of Chief Minister’s visit to District Hospital of Baramulla.

Official sources revealed to State Times that the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister on Monday discussed briefly and accorded sanction to the proposal of Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman's removal and attachment. However, the administrative order was issued late around midnight when Commissioner-Secretary Health & Medical Education Shantmanu was on an official visit in Leh.

Shantmanu himself was replaced by Mandeep Bhandari. Cabinet did not decide about his new place of posting.

Minister for Health & Medical Education Lal Singh confirmed Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman's attachment to State Times but didn't specify reason of the director's removal. "Nothing special", Lal Singh said when asked what made the government attach a major Head of Department. Source's said that Commissioner-Secretary Health and Medical Education would hold the charge till the appointment of the new Director.

Even as the bureaucracy remained tightlipped, some of the well placed sources insisted that Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman's removal had been decided a few days back when Chief Minister was on a tour in Baramulla. According to these sources, CM as well Lok Sabha member ftom North Kashmir Muzaffar Hussain Baig were not satisfied with Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman's leadership. He was sidelined and CM alongwith Mr Baig interacted only with Chief Medical Officer Dr Bashir Ahmad Chalkoo.

Yet another official source added that Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman was known for his proxity to Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Taj Mohiuddin and Sham Lal who had played key role in his elevation from Assistant Director to incharge Deputy Director and incharge Director, all within a couple of years. Former Health Minister had provided extraordinary support to Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman when a nurse posted in Anantnag district levelled allegations of sexual harassment against the Director in 2013.

While as the accused was given a clean chit, first by Minister and later by former Health Commissioner Gazanffar Hussain, Police too dismissed the nurse's allegations as unsubstantiated and vlosed the matter as "not admitted". Thereupon, the complaints nurse also approached a court of law.

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