MANU GUPTA Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Rural Medical Officers (RMOs) who were recruited on contractual basis to man Subsidiary Health Centres of a particular Zila Parishad are seeking parity with the doctors recruited via PCMS route on the basis that their initial services as contractual have been regularized from 1.5.2011. This parity is being sought for purposes of admission to the post graduate courses under the percentage of State quota.

(2.) The State Government felt a need of doctors (Medical Service Providers) at the Subsidiary Health Centres to augment the medical assistance in rural areas and sought recruitment of such doctors in April 2006. These appointments were sought to be made on contractual basis and the service conditions to be governed by the terms of contract. The recruitment was through a constituted selection committee chaired by the Chairman, Zila Parishad. The doctors so recruited continued to perform their duties and over a period of time, the question of their regularization into service received the attention of the State Government. A decision was thus, taken on 1.5.2011 to regularize the appointment of these doctors on certain terms and conditions. The terms and conditions of these appointments as specified in the appointment letter issued to these doctors in 2011 are as under :-

(3.) The other set of doctors, who have been recruited through the PCMS route, were not before the learned Single Judge in the writ petitions filed earlier by the RMOs, but were permitted to intervene in the LPAs before us. Their recruitment has been through a competitive examination conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission.