The re-designation scheme floated by the Chandigarh Administration in 2007 for faculty welfare was never approved by the Finance department, nor was the concurrence of the Department of Personnel ever obtained. The Department of Personnel had even strongly remarked that the ‘scheme be rescinded’.

Nevertheless, the Chandigarh Administration used the same scheme to re-designate Dr Sabita Basu with effect from the period when she was on ex-India leave for two years. She was again promoted by the Union Public Service Commission as Professor and the two years were counted in her experience.

Dr Basu, originally a reader in the Blood Transfusion Department, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Sector 32, was on an ex-India leave to Oman from January 5, 2006 to January 1, 2008. By the use of the scheme, she was re-designated as Associate Professor, and later promoted as regular Professor. Incidentally, the GMCH promoted her as Professor with effect from November 13, 2007, the time when she was on leave.

While Dr Raj Bahadur, the director-cum-principal of GMCH claims that the case of Dr Basu was approved before he joined the institute in December 2007 and that her promotion order bears the date of November 17, 2008. "Her re-designation was dealt with before I had joined GMCH. In fact, the Director-Principal has no power to promote her. Even the health secretary cannot promote her. It was the UT Administrator who had promoted her."

Dr Basu, however, has been claiming the designation with effect from November 13, 2007.

... contd.