CAT quashes orders against controversial IFS officer

Controversial IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi has got a major relief, with the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) quashing orders passed by Health Minister J P Nadda and AIIMS President and its Director, indicting him for alleged indiscipline and lack of work ethics during his tenure as Deputy Secretary in the Institute.

The tribunal's bench, headed by P K Basu, quashed both the orders noting that these were passed without issuing show cause notice to Chaturvedi which was "against the principles of natural justice".

The adverse observation made in both the orders were also asked to be kept in Chaturvedi's Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) for period 2015-16, against which he had approached the CAT.

"The orders dated January 7 and March 30 passed by the respondents (AIIMS Director and its President) to the applicant (Chaturvedi) with copies to other concerned Ministries, including Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand, is without issuing a show cause notice to him. This being against the principles of natural justice (sic). Both these orders are quashed," the tribunal said.

In his January 7 order, the AIIMS Director had expressed "displeasure with his (Chaturvedi) insubordination, indiscipline and lack of work ethics during winter session of Parliament 2015". He had also ordered that a copy of the memorandum be kept in Chaturvedi's personal file for consideration in his APAR for period 2015-16.

Nadda had upheld and reiterated this memorandum with a direction that "this may be sent to the Seretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Cadre Controlling Authority."

Chaturvedi had then approached the CAT, claiming that these orders had sought to "taint" his service record and placed him at a very disadvantageous position regarding future periodical review of the service record.

He had claimed that these orders were passed with "personal mala fide" as he was "exposing corruption cases in AIIMS."

The Ramon Magsaysay Award winner officer has been at loggerheads with the central government over issues of promotion, work allocation, cadre transfer, deputation and APAR.