‘IIPH occupied rooms, misbehaved with MACS official, lady doctors’

SHILLONG, May 31: DHS (MI), Aman War on Monday asked the authorities to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him and take necessary action against the persons concerned of the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Shillong for forcibly occupying the rooms allocated to Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS) and for their alleged “unruly and unacceptable” behaviour towards the Project Director and other lady doctors of MACS.
He slammed Principal Secretary (Health), Sampath Kumar accusing him of violating the principle of natural justice.
In his reply to the show-cause notice, he wrote: “Whereas, the Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Health and Family Welfare Department, Shillong has come to a conclusion with regards to the said incident without affording any opportunity to the undersigned to put forth his version…and quite apparently, the said authority has also gone to the media outlets in this regard without verifying the same with the undersigned, which is a clear indication that the said actions were done due to sheer spite and vengeance against the undersigned, for the best reasons known to the said authority. Moreover the said authority has violated the principle of natural justice.”
Earlier, he had stated that the building at Pasteur Hills, Lawmali, which is under the custody and possession of the Directorate, was never handed over to IIPH and the same is being occupied by the various wings and offices under the department itself.
Alleging that the IIPH trespassed into the property of the Directorate and as such, an FIR should be lodged against the said trespassers as per the law, Dr War said the show-cause notice was issued to him in the most “arbitrary, malicious, unscrupulous and unreasonable manner”, which has not only tarnished his image despite having rendered decades of impeccable service to the state government, but it has also caused severe stigma towards him, as he is due to retire in a month’s time, and also to his family, without any fault on his part whatsoever.
“For the same, the Department may kindly take necessary action against the authority concerned for going to the media and giving his view without affording the undersigned an opportunity for being heard,” Dr War said.
He said the action of the Principal Secretary (Health) appears to be motivated for the reasons best known to the latter.
On the May 27 incident, the DHS said he had received a letter/complaint from the Project Director, MACS, whereby it was informed that the said storage room allocated to the MACS was broken into and trespassed upon by some unknown person(s), and upon enquiring with the said trespassers, the Project Director, MACS, was seriously humiliated, threatened and abused in the most disgusting manner.