In blatant violation CRSCS DG occupying post for 8 yrs
   Date :15-Jul-2019
 
By Abhishek Kumar
Dr P K Bhatt, who has been appointed as Director General (DG) of Chhattisgarh Regional Science Center Society (CRSCS) on May 23 in 2011 has occupied the post of DG for last eight years.
 
 
However, as per the rule of the State Government, maximum tenure for the post of the DG is 5 years. Dr P K Bhatt’s appointment as the DG has already crossed five years, but he continues to remain in the post in blatant violation of the rules of Government. The official sources claimed that even State Government has not issued Dr P K Bhatt’s re-appointment order. Dr P K Bhatt’s continuation in the post without re-appointment order itself is a violation of the recruitment rules, the official sources alleged.
 
 
Ask Government regarding my appointment: P K Bhatt
 
 
 
When this newspaper contacted to DG of the CRSCS Dr P K Bhatt, he refused to give his comment and said, “It is better you should ask the Government regarding my appointment and continuation on this post.”
Will look into the matter: C K Khetan
 
 
 
Speaking to ‘The Hitavada’ over telephone, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology C K Khetan said, “I am not in favour that a person continues to work such a long time on the post of the DG of the CRSCS. will look into the matter.”
 
In the case of Bhatt, it seems that Department of Science and Technology has forgotten to retire Dr P K Bhatt from the post of the DG. In the order, it was written that Dr P K Bhatt was appointed as DG till further order and if no order is issued it clearly is a case of superannuation after five years. The official sources claimed that in the recruitment of Dr P K Bhatt as CRSCS DG, the selection procedure was not followed and he was appointed as DG till further order through an administrative order. An officer on condition of anonymity told ‘The Hitavada’ that there is complete anarchy prevailing in the Regional Science Centre and the moral of the curators and technicians working with the Science Center has been badly affected.
 
 
Meanwhile, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh published an advertisement on December 26, 2016 for the recruitment of the new DG of the CRSCS. A three member search committee comprising of the then Vice Chancellor of Durg University N P Dixit, the then Vice-Chancellor of Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University Dr A R Chandrakar and former Principal of NIT Raipur Dr N K Saikhedkar was formed by the Department of Science and Technology in 2017 to select suitable candidate for the post of the DG of the CRSCS. The search committee recommended three names- Professor of Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla University (PRSU) Raipur Dr Sanjay Tiwari, Professor of PRSU Dr A K Pati and Principal of Government College Vaishali Nagar Bhilai Dr Rajesh Pandey for the post of the DG of the CRSCS. Meanwhile, Dr A K Pati, whose name was also proposed for the post of the DG, has already been appointed as Vice Chancellor of Gangadhar Meher University Sambalpur, Odisha.
 
 
The then Science and Technology Minister Prem Prakash Pandey had rejected three names and observed in the Government note-sheet that the search committee didn’t follow the rule in recruitment of the new DG and so the process should be started again for recruitment of the new DG. There is already one post of the DG in Chhattisgarh Council of Science and Technology (CCOST). However, the post of the DG for the CRSCS has not been approved by the Cabinet so far. No specific rule has been made for the post of the DG of the CRSCS. The age, salary and other things have not been mentioned for the post of the DG at the time of recruitment of P K Bhatt as the DG.
 
 
At present, there are only 11 employees, which were earlier recruited by the CCOST for the Regional Science Center. Generally, the in-charge of the Regional Science Centre is curator in the country. But there is an exception in Chhattisgarh where the post of the DG in the Regional Science Centre was allegedly created to benefit one person. It may be noted that the post of DG of the CCOST is equivalent to Vice-Chancellor of State University. According to the educational qualification fixed by the Department of Science and Technology, there should be post graduate degree with doctorate in science and engineering. The candidate should have 8 years experience as Director, Executive Director or Science E grade of government organisation or institution including autonomous institution having total 20 years experience in the field of science and technology. The maximum tenure for the Director General is 5 years or up to the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier, and shall not be eligible for the appointment for more than two terms. The Department has fixed a selection procedure for the appointment of the DG of the CRSCS. A Search Committee is duly constituted by the Government for the appointment of the DG of the CRSCS. After the recommendation of the panel, the DG is appointed.