other compelling reasons for the ouster of Chaturvedi from the AIIMS campus. Chaturvedi had taken action against two AIIMS functionaries with powerful political connections. One of them was IAS officer Vineet Chaudhary of the HImachal Pradesh cadre, who was health secretary in Himachal Pradesh when BJP general secretary JP Nadda was health minister of that state. The other was Dr AC Ammini, who was treating the senior-most, cabinet-ranked woman minister, a diabetic, in the Modi government. When contacted for this report, JP Nadda refused to say anything on the issue of Chaturvedis removal, and an SMS sent to Dr Harshvardhans mobile number, asking him whether Chaturvedi was sacked because of pressure from Nadda and the powerful woman union minister, did not elicit any reply. Repeated calls to his mobile number also went unanswered. For the record, Chaturvedi had initiated proceedings against both Vineet Chaudhary and Dr AC Ammini on the CBIs recommendation. Chaudhary, then deputy director (admin), AIIMS, and now additional chief secretary of Himachal Pradesh, was charged on various counts of financial irregularities, including for appointing a corrupt engineer to supervise a Rs 3,750 crore expansion project. He was also charged with getting his pet dog treated at the AIIMS cancer centre and for misuse of official vehicle provided to him. Based on these charges, a CBI case was registered against him on January 9, 2014. Documents in dnas possession show that Chaturvedi was relentless in his pursuit of Chaudhary, and that he was in the crosshairs of Nadda soon after initiating proceedings against Chaudhary. It is very interesting to note that communications for my removal were started by JP Nadda immediately after the initiation of vigilance inquiry by the undersigned against Vineet Chaudhary and peaked immediately after the registration of CBI case against Vineet Chaudhary on 09.01.2014, says a letter dated August 16, 2014 sent by Chaturvedi to the Union health secretary. But if Chaturvedi was single-minded in his pursuit of Chaudhary, Nadda was equally persistent in his attempts to see Chaturvedi packed off from AIIMS. On May 8, 2013, Nadda wrote to then MoS, personnel grievances & pensions, V Narayansamy, pointing out the total violation of established procedures... in the appointment of Chaturvedi as CVO, AIIMS. Narayansamy wrote back that he has forwarded Naddas grievances to the ministry of health for clarification and action. On September 2, 2013, Nadda wrote to then minister of health Ghulam Nabi Azad, pointing out the procedural irregularities in the appointment of CVO of AIIMS. Nadda wrote to Azad again on January 28, 2014, requesting him to set the record straight on the appointment Chaturvedi as AIIMS CVO.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:57:05 +0000
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