The issue of duty leave granted to the wife of director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, who too is a senior professor at the institute, has become a matter of controversy in the faculty.
Dr Deepika Deka, professor, department of obstetrics and gynaecology, has taken more duty leave in 2011-12 than what faculty members are entitled, it is alleged.
An anomaly in maintaining records by the administration has also been noticed.
Dr Sunita Mittal, head, department of obstetrics and gynaecology, has requested the deputy director (administration) Vineet Chawdhry to conduct an inquiry and take necessary action at the earliest.
Enclosed documents reveal that her department received letters from the administration permitting the AIIMS’ director’s wife 59 days of leave, while the permitted limit is 42 days.
In her letter to the deputy director, she alleged that other faculty members were denied leave for important academic events even when they have leave remaining.
Indiscipline
The letter says, “This has led to indiscipline in department with inequality and deprivation to other faculty members...”
But, in the records of the administrative officer, Dr Deka took only 21 days’ leave.
So far, no inquiry has been ordered.
This has created unrest among the faculty members. A mail circulated within the AIIMS faculty association (FAIIMS) has expressed discontent with regards to some people enjoying privilege over others due to their special status.
“If such a possibility of support to faculty member exists in AIIMS, then why can’t we all have the same privileges? We should also be dealt with equally, with timely permissions before travel, and extra leaves,” said a senior faculty member in the mail.
Besides this, there is another matter which has upset the AIIMS’ faculty.
The 42 days of leave have been recently divided into two categories -- one for a particular request to attend a conference or a workshop (28 days) and the other for meetings or trainings (14 days).
Restriction
“This restricts us from utilising leave for combined purposes which has been the tradition at the institute.
“Every specialty has its own kind of academic commitments and circumstances.
It should not be categorised,” wrote another faculty member.
The administration refused to respond on the issue.