Strange are the ways of state's directorate of medical education and research (DMER). The directorate has revoked the suspension of the administrative officer of city's Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Sudhakar Bhandarwar after almost 11 months of his retirement.
The step apparently followed lack of enough evidence to nail him for not utilizing the.`25 crore funds released by the state government for GMCH upgradation under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). The directorate withdrew the suspension of Bhandrawar though a letter dated March 21 without citing any reason for the act. Interestingly, the GMCH officer was suspended just 15 days before his retirement for not utilizing the Rs25 crore grant under PMMSY during the financial year 2009-10 putting a blot on his record at the fag end of his career. In fact, the government had also transferred Dr Dipti Dongaonkar, then GMCH dean, to Latur Medical College apparently as a punishment for the same reason. Now, Bhandrawar's suspension has been revoked without taking any action. The government obviously could not find any fault with him. Normally funds are released to the college through an allotment letter. GMCH was never issued any such letter.
The DMER had only put the information on availability of .Rs25 crore as state's share in the PMSSY on March 31, the last date of the financial year, on the website expecting the college to withdraw check it up on its own, withdraw the money from treasury and use it the very day. "The government may have now revoked the suspension but it cannot undo the damage to my reputation. I only know what I went through during all this period. It is hard to come out of the humiliation I faced in society and within family. But better late then never," Bhandarwar told TOI. Though administrative and other staff of GMCH had come out in support of him and even held a demonstration against the government at GMCH after the suspension on May 15, 2010, Bhandarwar was upset about harassment he went through. The retired AO said that the suspension was withdrawn and the 15 days he was actually under suspension before retirement is being considered as regular duty. The order has come without any inquiry at all.
"I was never at fault. We never got any allotment letter. We came to know about the allocation only when we got a copy of letter dated April 1, 2010 on April 27 releasing .Rs16 crore out of the sanctioned .Rs25 crore. Probably the authorities could find no fault with me and hence the revocation," he said. The government actually got going on the issue after Bhandarwar wrote to Maharashtra Governor, the next appellate authority, putting his side of the story. He is now happy that the AG office cleared his pension after the DMER director issued a no dues certificate to him. Till now he had only been given six months' provisional pension. Many senior teachers at GMCH are now hoping that the DMER also brings back Dr Dongaonkar to the college claiming that she was doing good work here. "She was honest, sincere and hard working. She was the only dean in the past 10 years who actually took rounds in the college and was aware of every development," said a senior professor.
The step apparently followed lack of enough evidence to nail him for not utilizing the.`25 crore funds released by the state government for GMCH upgradation under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). The directorate withdrew the suspension of Bhandrawar though a letter dated March 21 without citing any reason for the act. Interestingly, the GMCH officer was suspended just 15 days before his retirement for not utilizing the Rs25 crore grant under PMMSY during the financial year 2009-10 putting a blot on his record at the fag end of his career. In fact, the government had also transferred Dr Dipti Dongaonkar, then GMCH dean, to Latur Medical College apparently as a punishment for the same reason. Now, Bhandrawar's suspension has been revoked without taking any action. The government obviously could not find any fault with him. Normally funds are released to the college through an allotment letter. GMCH was never issued any such letter.
The DMER had only put the information on availability of .Rs25 crore as state's share in the PMSSY on March 31, the last date of the financial year, on the website expecting the college to withdraw check it up on its own, withdraw the money from treasury and use it the very day. "The government may have now revoked the suspension but it cannot undo the damage to my reputation. I only know what I went through during all this period. It is hard to come out of the humiliation I faced in society and within family. But better late then never," Bhandarwar told TOI. Though administrative and other staff of GMCH had come out in support of him and even held a demonstration against the government at GMCH after the suspension on May 15, 2010, Bhandarwar was upset about harassment he went through. The retired AO said that the suspension was withdrawn and the 15 days he was actually under suspension before retirement is being considered as regular duty. The order has come without any inquiry at all.
"I was never at fault. We never got any allotment letter. We came to know about the allocation only when we got a copy of letter dated April 1, 2010 on April 27 releasing .Rs16 crore out of the sanctioned .Rs25 crore. Probably the authorities could find no fault with me and hence the revocation," he said. The government actually got going on the issue after Bhandarwar wrote to Maharashtra Governor, the next appellate authority, putting his side of the story. He is now happy that the AG office cleared his pension after the DMER director issued a no dues certificate to him. Till now he had only been given six months' provisional pension. Many senior teachers at GMCH are now hoping that the DMER also brings back Dr Dongaonkar to the college claiming that she was doing good work here. "She was honest, sincere and hard working. She was the only dean in the past 10 years who actually took rounds in the college and was aware of every development," said a senior professor.
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