Vacant DME position: HC summons principal secretary (medical)

 Hyderbabd: The Telangana High Court has summoned Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, principal secretary of health, medical and family welfare department, and Dr K. Ramesh Reddy, in-charge director of medical education (DME) to be present on December 21 in a contempt case regarding filling up of the vacancy. They will have to attend the High Court in person on all days thereafter until final orders are passed.

The court directed them to explain why they should not be punished for contempt of court as they had not completed the regular appointment.

Justice Surepalli Nanda issued these summons in a contempt case filed by Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), which brought to the notice of the court that the authorities had failed to comply with the court orders dated April 24, in which the court had directed the government and principal secretary of health, medical and family welfare to follow the due process of law in filling up the post of DME.

Sama Sandeep Reddy,  counsel for the petitioner association,  argued that in March when the DME post was created, the High Court had directed filling it up in accordance with law. In July 2023, Rizvi filed a counter deposing that necessary steps were being taken up by the government but the post was yet to be filled up. He said Dr Ramesh Reddy was continuing in the post of in-charge DME is a blatant violation of the order passed by the High Court.