Hek plays down Thappa’s transfer

SHILLONG: Health and Family Welfare Minister, AL Hek has played down the change of guard in NEIGRIHMS insofar as fighting COVID-19 pandemic is concerned.
Talking to media persons here on Monday about the timing of the transfer order of the central government, he said that the removal of the Director was an old pending issue and it was last year when the Governing Council of the institute had taken a unanimous decision to remove him from the post at a time when NEIGRIHMS was making news for all the wrong reasons.
He observed that individuals do not matter adding that “the new Director has to continue the fight against COVID-19”.
When asked if he has been removed due to a series of allegations against him and also for having failed to call the meeting of the council in the past years, Hek refused to comment saying that it was for the Fact Finding Committee and Surveillance Committee to establish the veracity of the charges.
On the allegations leveled by the outgoing Director of a mafia operating in the institute, Hek said that the fact finding team comprising members from the Centre and the state are investigating it and it is only after the facts comes out he will be able to comment.
It may be recalled that Thappa had written to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi requesting him to institute an independent probe into the decision of the Governing Council to remove him.