Madras HC reserves order on PIL against TRANSTAN member secy

The Madras High Court today reserved its order for Thursday on a PIL challenging the appointment of P Balaji as member secretary of the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu, which regulates the organ transplant in the state.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar said it would pronounce the order on the plea filed by NGO Change India on Thursday.
Change India has pleaded the court to quash the appointment of Balaji, a professor of minimal access surgery at the Madras Medical College, as member-secretary of TRANSTAN. He was appointed to the post on October 31, 2016.

It contended that Balaji lacks the qualification and experience required for the position.
According to the PIL, replies by the state government to Right to Information queries filed on behalf of the NGO revealed "arbitrariness, nepotism and favouritism in the unceremonious dropping J Amalorpavanathan from the post of member secretary and the illegal and arbitrary appointment of Balaji in his place without following due process."
The NGO submitted that the "illegal" appointment of Balaji was regularised on May 5 this year againstthe memorandum of the association and the by-laws of TRANSTAN.

The plea alleged that Balaji was honoured as one of the best doctors in the state in June because of his "political connections" and not for any known medical achievement.

It referred to the attestation by Balaji of then-ailing chief minister Jayalalithaa's thumb impression on papers for three state assembly by-polls and said there's a need find out why he was chosen despite the availability of four other senior government medical specialists at the Apollo Hospitals.
The petition urged for quashing the May 5 regularisation of the appointment of Balaji.
The PIL also sought a direction to the principal health secretary to convene a general-body and an executive committee meeting of the transplant authority and appoint a senior government medical professional with meritorious track record as the member secretary.