The game seems to be up for controversial AIIMS director Dr P Venugopal as the Lok Sabha has approved a bill fixing the age of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director at 65. The decision came after an acrimonious exchange between the treasury and opposition benches.

The bill will now go to the Rajya Sabha. Once the approval comes from the Upper House, it will be the weapon for Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss to remove the cardiac surgeon from AIIMS. Dr Venugopal has already crossed 65.

Over the last year and a half, the duo is engaged in a bitter public tussle in the court and outside, ruining the institute’s image. They fought over the reservation issue, awarding the degrees to students and day-to-day functioning of the institute. After flaying the government on the floor for bringing out the legislation, BJP staged a walk out when the amendment was passed. The argument was so heated that the Speaker had to adjourn the House a couple of times.

Currently there is no mention of age for the post of the director at AIIMS, while for the director of Post Graduate Institute for Medical Education and Research (PGI), the age limit is 62. The bill, said Dr Ramadoss, was necessitated following a court directive that asked the government to formulate a policy covering various facets of service of its employees.

On the eve of the session, more than 100 doctors and Venugopal loyalists at AIIMS wrote to the Prime Minister urging him not to bring out the legislation. But the centre was determined as the cabinet rallied behind the bill.
Opposing the bill, BJP’s V K Malhotra and Maneka Gandhi said that Dr Ramadoss wanted to destroy AIIMS by targeting its director. Dr Venugopal was appointed during the NDA regime when Mrs Sushma Swaraj was the health minister. The cardiac surgeon is believed to be closer to the BJP top brass.

His appointment letter, signed by Mrs Swaraj, says he will be the director “for a period of five years from the date he assumes charge of the post and until further orders.”