Notice to Gandhigram Institute Chairman, Director

The Madras High Court bench today ordered issue of a notice to the Chairman of Gandhigram Institute of Rural Health and Family Welfare Trust, and its Director Munawar Khan on a petition seeking to quash the latter's appointment to the post.
Justice T S Sivagnanam ordered issue of the notice to the Chairman of the Trust and Munawar Khan himself.
Assistant Solicitor General G R Swaminathan and Tamil Nadu government pleader took the notice on behalf of the Union Secretary of Health and Family Welfare and the state Department of Health and Family Welfare respectively.
Petitioner M Swaminathan, Secretary of Gandhigram Health officials union, submitted the institute followed service rules with regard to employment and other benefits of Tamil Nadu government. The maximum age limit upto which a person could be appointed as its Director should be 65 years. It was later ratified to 70 years. But the present director had completed 73 years as his date of birth was Mar 6, 1941, he said.

The Director's post related to financial implications and an 'incompetent' and 'ineligible' person could not be permitted to hold office. Neither the Medical Council of India nor Tamil Nadu government's fundemental rules had ratified the appointment of over-aged persons, Swainathan said.
Besides, the present Director did not have the requisite qualification for appointment as Director of the Institute, he added.