Srinagar, Sep 5: Ahead of a crucial meeting called by the Government on Tuesday to discuss common seniority for Government Medical Colleges for Kashmir and Jammu, doctors of the two regions have strongly pitched for continuing with the existing system of separate seniority. 
 Doctors in both regions stated that the common seniority will neither help GMC Srinagar nor Jammu. Instead, they said, the move will only benefit some doctors who since 2006 have been posted in Srinagar against Schedule Caste category.
 Prime medical institutions had common seniority since 1990 and it was bifurcated by PDP-Congress coalition Government in 2006 following persistent demand of Medical Faculty Association GMC Srinagar as “their career prospects were being marred by common seniority.”
 As per the Government move, the seniority of the faculty members of both the medical colleges would be amalgamated so that they may be transferred from one college to another. The Government had formed a panel headed by Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary Law and Principals, GMC, Srinagar and Jammu as its members.
 The Minister of Medical Education R.S Chib, sources said is reportedly pushing for the common seniority arguing that it empowers him to transfer doctor from Jammu to Srinagar and vice-versa. Chib, according to faculty members of GMC Srinagar and Jammu, wants to go ahead with the common seniority to “punish the doctors.”
 “Instead of changing the policy that has helped both the medical colleges of the State, if the Minister wants to punish some doctors, he should identify them and explain their guilt.” said a senior faculty member of the GMC Jammu.
 Since 1990 to 2006 some 69 doctors from Jammu were transferred to GMC Srinagar. These doctors remained in GMC Srinagar for some months and later managed their transfer to Jammu along with the post citing security reason. It resulted in depletion of the faculty in GMC Srinagar and subsequently four streams were derecognized.
 In 2005, the then Commissioner Secretary had transferred some 20 doctors from the Government Medical College Jammu to Srinagar. But the doctors refused to join citing security concern. However, the official insisted that there were no security threat in the Valley, the doctors still refused to join.
 This prompted the authority to move a proposal in the cabinet to save the GMC Srinagar from de-recognition.  The cabinet had accepted the proposal. Since the spilt, the faculty position the GMC Srinagar and the GMC Jammu has increased. The four streams which were derecognized by the MCI earlier have been now recognized by the MCI.
 Principal GMC Srinagar Dr Qazi Masood asserted that a meeting presided by Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education GA Peer along with Law secretary is going to be held on Tuesday.
 The main agenda of the meeting, he said will be to discuss the drawbacks and benefits of common seniority.
 “We are averse to common seniority and our association has already conveyed the same to the Government. Due to common seniority several posts of GMC Srinagar were transferred to Jammu. We have communicated about the separate seniority already,” he told Greater Kashmir adding Principal GMC Jammu is also participating in the meeting.

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