QUESTIONS RAISED OVER RECRUITMENT OF SANITARY INSPECTOR AT PGIMR

ALLEGEDLY FORGED DOCUMENTS; INSTITUTION’S OWN VIGILANCE DEPTT. REPORTEDLY FOUND DOCUMENTS UNVERIFIED, YET NO ACTION TAKEN, BSP TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENSURING JUSTICE.“IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN, WE WILL BE FORCED TO LAUNCH A PROTEST AND DEMONSTRATION” – S. SURINDER SINGH, CHANDIGARH BSP IN-CHARGE

Face2News/Chandigarh

The recruitment process for regular posts of Sanitary Inspectors at PGI, Chandigarh, has come under scrutiny following allegations of irregularities. Documents obtained through RTI and an investigation report of PGI’s Vigilance Department have raised questions regarding the appointment of Natinder Kumar and the authenticity of the experience certificate submitted by him. Questions have also been raised over the alleged failure to take further action despite the Vigilance Department reportedly issuing its investigation report in 2019.

Addressing a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club today, S. Surinder Singh, Chandigarh BSP In-charge, said that injustice meted out to a member of their community would not be tolerated. He stated that if no action was taken within a week, the BSP would join hands with other unions and take to the streets to launch a protest.

Those present at the press conference included Dr. Narendra, a retired Health Department official; Raja Rajinder Singh Nanheria, General Secretary of Punjab BSP; Bhajan Singh; Paramjit Singh Chamma; and others.

Raja Rajinder Singh Nanheria stated that, according to the documents obtained, the recruitment process for regular posts of Sanitary Inspectors was initiated in 2012. On October 31, 2014, a list of eligible and ineligible candidates was prepared, in which Balkar Singh was declared eligible. However, despite being declared eligible, he was not selected. On the other hand, a complaint was subsequently lodged regarding the experience certificate submitted by the selected candidate, Natinder Kumar.

Following the complaint, the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of PGI conducted an investigation into the matter. Citing page number 70/95 of the documents relating to the complaint and investigation, it was claimed that Natinder Kumar’s experience certificate was found to be unverified. The Vigilance Department reportedly issued its investigation report on November 13, 2019. This has raised serious questions about what action was taken by the concerned authorities if the authenticity of the experience certificate could not be established during the investigation.

It was further stated that the PGI Safai Karamchari Union had raised the issue through a complaint submitted to the then Director and Deputy Director on September 4, 2018. Despite this, the status of action taken in the matter remains unclear, prompting demands that the accountability of the concerned officials be fixed.

According to Raja Rajinder Singh Nanheria, the matter becomes even more serious in light of the documents cited at page number 71/96. As per these documents, Dr. Pallav Rai had issued directions to the Medical Superintendent on January 11, 2026, asking for action to be taken within five days. Questions have now been raised about whether these directions were followed and at what level the related report is pending.

An impartial investigation has also been demanded into the roles of Dr. Vipin Kaushal, the then Chairman of the Recruitment Committee, and Ravi Sharma, Senior Sanitation Officer, who were associated with the 2012 recruitment process. The complainants have questioned how the authenticity of the experience certificate was verified and how the alleged lapse occurred, particularly when the recruitment committee was responsible for examining the candidates’ documents and qualifications.

In addition, Balkar Singh has raised allegations of caste-based discrimination in the selection process. Since Balkar Singh, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, was declared eligible but was not selected, a detailed inquiry has been demanded into the reasons behind his non-selection. The complainants have also sought an investigation into whether he was subjected to discrimination on the grounds of caste during the recruitment process.

Seven major questions have been raised before the PGI Director and the Union Ministry of Health regarding the matter. These include the actual status of Natinder Kumar’s experience certificate, the action taken on the 2019 Vigilance report, whether the report was placed before the Director, compliance with Dr. Pallav Rai’s directions issued in January 2026, and the reasons for not selecting Balkar Singh despite his being declared eligible.