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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: 322 houses vacant but PGI staff await allotment
As many as 322 government quarters meant for staff at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) are lying vacant even as 847 employees are in the waitlist for allotment, an RTI has revealed. PGI accommodates its staff in Sector 12 and 24 but due to the long wait list, the employees are having to put up in rented places nearby, often at a high cost. (HT File) The vacant houses include those meant for faculty as well as non-teaching staff, with nursing officers and others belonging to Group B and C having the longest list of employees awaiting house allotment. PGI accommodates its staff in Sector 12 and 24 but due to the long wait list, the employees are having to put up in rented places nearby, often at a high cost. The RTI, filed by Ashwani Munjal, chairperson of the joint action committee of the PGI contractual workers, shows several houses have remained unallotted since 2017. Yet, the house allotment committee (HAC), which is responsible for distributing them, has met only once in 2025, on July 30, after an 11-month gap since its previous meeting in September 2024. During this meeting, chaired by Prof Arun Kumar Aggarwal, 12 houses were allotted. But the orders for recommendation were passed on August 12, ironically the same day when the response to the RTI was provided. The RTI query was filed on July 9. Delay in fitness report from engg dept The major reason behind the delay in house allotment appears to be the irregular meetings of HAC but the engineering department's failure to provide timely fitness reports for each house is equally to be blamed for the backlog. A letter from the estate branch dated June 16, 2025, noted that while the list of vacant houses had been shared with the engineering department, it had not received the fitness reports. Without these, allotments could not be done. Munjal said that this delay was causing a huge loss to the government exchequer. Not only is PGI missing out on the licence fees and monthly rent from allotted houses, but it is also paying 20% of the basic pay as House Rent Allowance (HRA) to eligible staff each month. Despite repeated attempts, PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal and deputy director administration Pankaj Rai did not comment. The official spokesperson said that a fact-finding exercise would be needed before providing an explanation.
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UT declares all PGI employment as essential
Chandigarh: UT chief secretary on Monday declared all employment at the PGI an "essential service," extending the Haryana Essential Services Act, 1974, to Chandigarh. The move prohibits any strikes by PGI staff. This is the first time the Act was invoked without an official strike notice from any union. The notification follows a 2024 public interest litigation (PIL) filed by PGI, which led to a Punjab and Haryana high court ruling on August 7 this year. The court noted that PGI services weren't previously declared essential under the East Punjab Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1947, yet it pre-emptively barred unions from future strikes or protests. The decision comes amidst an ongoing legal dispute with the PGI union president, Ashwani Munjal, who was banned from campus. The high court, while addressing Munjal's challenge, has permitted union activities only within their designated office space and explicitly forbidden any actions that would obstruct patient care or movement within the institute. According to Munjal, the recent court ruling and subsequent notification vindicate the union's decades-long position that ESMA was not previously applicable to PGI. However, he acknowledged the court's strict stance on protests, stating that any future demonstrations would be restricted to the institute's residential areas to prevent disruption of patient services. "The three decades old stand of union(s) that there is no notification imposing ESMA at PGI has been vindicated whereas PGI filed more than 6-8 CWP-PIL during 2018 to 2024 seeking orders to take action against leaders/staff under Section 6 & 7 ESMA, 1947/1968," said Munjal. He added, "The competent authority for PGI is the centre and not Chandigarh for invoking ESMA." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
PGI medical technicians receive arrears after legal battle spanning decades
Chandigarh: After a long legal battle spanning 32 years, over 2,000 serving and retired medical technicians of PGI are finally set to receive their long-awaited arrears, totalling around Rs 100 crore. The finance ministry has approved the payment, correcting a significant pay anomaly that plagued their cadre for decades. The PGI administration has issued office orders for restructuring of cadres of technical staff (Lab/X-rays/RT) with retrospective effect from March 1, 1992, in compliance with a 2013 judgment by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The decision follows years of persistent efforts by the PGI Medical Technologists Association, headed by Ashwani Munjal. This addresses a major anomaly. Previously, even after two promotions, medical technologists found themselves stuck in the same pay grade as their entry-level positions. "For instance, a BSc medical technology recruit starting at grade pay Rs 4,200 (pay level 6) would often retire in grade pay Rs 4,600 (pay level 7), with promotions to levels 1 and 2 offering no change in grade pay, and levels 3 and 4 also remaining within a single grade pay of Rs 4,600. This rendered promotions largely meaningless in terms of financial benefit," said Munjal. The journey to this resolution was fraught with legal challenges. "The corrected six-tier cadre restructuring, based on the Dr Prabhakar Committee/cadre restructuring report, will now allow technical staff to progress from grade pay Rs 4,200 up to Rs 7,600 as chief technical officer. This change is expected to benefit around 1,000 serving and 200 retired medical technicians," said Munjal. The financial implications of this decision are estimated at around Rs 100 crore, including the impact on retirement benefits for those who are serving and retired. The next step involves initiating the process of conducting departmental promotion committee (DPC) meetings to formalise promotions under the new structure. A longstanding demand Beneficiaries: Over 2,000 serving and retired medical technicians at PGI Chandigarh Amount Approved: Around Rs 100 crore in arrears Reason: Correction of a pay anomaly that persisted for decades Background & Legal Journey Issue: Promotions did not result in meaningful financial upgrades Example: A BSc recruit starting at grade pay Rs 4,200 often retired at Rs 4,600, despite multiple promotions Legal milestone: 2013: Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ruled in favor of restructuring 2025: Finance ministry finally approved the payment Key advocate: PGI Medical Technologists Association, led by Ashwani Munjal MSID:: 122281704 413 |
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
2-year sewage problem at PGI canteen worsens with rainfall
1 2 Chandigarh: For the past two years, the non-faculty staff canteen at the lower cafeteria of PGI has been frequently facing sewage overflow, a situation made worse by recent heavy rainfall. Both the kitchen and dining areas are severely affected. Despite repeated assurances of renovation during this period, no action has been taken. "The assurances for renovation during the last two years proved to be false and misleading," said Ashwani Munjal, chairman of the Joint Action Committee, PGI. The poor civil and sanitation services have created unhygienic conditions, posing serious risks of infection to both staff and the hospital environment. Around 2,000 hospital staff regularly visit the canteen for tea, food, and snacks. "We were informed earlier that the canteen contractors working on the top floor at the Association of Resident Doctors' mess dispose of kitchen waste into a drain, which chokes the drainage system. We complained to the hospital administration in 2023 and 2024, but the situation remains unchanged," said Ashwani Munjal, chairman of the Joint Action Committee, PGI. Lt Col Gurvinder Singh Bhatti (retd), superintending hospital engineer at PGI, explained, "There are a few reasons why storm water entered the cafeteria. Firstly, we experienced unprecedented rains recently, which overwhelmed the main storm lines of both PGI and UT. Once UT's storm lines were cleared, PGI's internal storm water dispersed. However, during that time, water flowed into the cafeteria because it's a low-lying area. " He added, "We have a persistent issue with the kitchen waste line behind the cafeteria being blocked. This is due to kitchen waste from the first-floor cafeteria entering that line." Officials confirmed that the cafeteria is currently undergoing renovation. A Delhi-based architect is working on the planning, and the renovation is expected to begin in five to seven months.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
PGI Chandigarh faces severe shortage of hospital attendants, nursing staff
1 2 Chandigarh: The PGI is facing a severe shortage of hospital attendants, with a staggering 62% of sanctioned posts lying vacant. This critical shortfall is forcing patients' relatives to step in and provide essential care, leading to increased overcrowding and significantly compromising patient services, an RTI (Right to Information) query filed by a local resident, Ashwani Munjal, revealed. Out of a total sanctioned strength of 519 hospital attendants across all grades, a massive 62% of these crucial positions remain unfilled. The impact is palpable, leaving admitted patients largely dependent on their family members, who are compelled to stay back at the hospital to tend to their loved ones. "This unfortunate situation not only adds to the already strained hospital crowd but also places an undue burden on the relatives themselves," said a patient's relative. The crisis extends beyond attendants. The RTI further highlights a significant deficit in nursing staff, with 186 posts of senior nursing positions currently vacant. The situation is particularly dire for deputy nursing superintendents: out of 15 sanctioned posts, 6 were vacant until 2023, and an additional 9 became vacant this year, exacerbating the staffing crunch. "The information from deputy director administration and superintending hospital engineer on the subject under RTI application dated April 6, 2024, is still pending or rejected on frivolous grounds," said Ashwani. He said, "The shortage of non-faculty posts in the PGI is badly affecting patient care services and further causing a burden on the existing staff," said Ashwani Munjal, the activist who unearthed these figures. The grant of leaves, including Maternity, Child Care, and Earned Leave, becomes an issue, even causing litigations in the absence of Leave Vacancy Quota." This understaffing means that patients, already vulnerable, are left to bear the brunt of the administrative inefficiency, often having to "do the running around" for their admitted relatives. "I hardly see an attendant who can come and help us with the wheelchair or even for a bedpan. We have been doing this solely by ourselves as we cannot afford to keep a private attendant," said another patient's relative. MSID:: 121889450 413 |
