Declared ineligible, but still state's director of ayurveda

Government keeps Dr Kuldeepraj Kohli in hot seat despite High Court and state administrative tribunal orders against him and his track record of irregularities

Despite Bombay High Court and Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) orders declaring him ineligible to hold the post, Dr Kuldeepraj Pishorimal Kohli continues to serve as the state's director of ayurveda.

Seat of power:u00a0In addition to being the state's director of Ayurveda, Dr Kuldeepraj Pishorimal Kohli is the dean of RA Podar Medical College

Kohli was found lacking proper qualifications to occupy the post and his track record was one of questionable integrity.

Kohli, who is the dean of RA Podar Medical College in Worli, holds the additional charge of director of ayurveda in the state on the basis of a registration certificate that he had obtained without meeting mandatory requirements.

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No less than 23 MLAs had raised the issue of Kohli's illegal appointment in the assembly during the Winter Session in Nagpur in December 2011. In reply, Medical Education Minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit had rubbished their claims.

Kohli was promoted to director of ayurveda in 2008, superseding three senior candidates. The move prompted one of the affected candidates, Ganesh Mukkamwar, to knock on the doors of MAT.

After almost three years, on July 20, 2011, MAT quashed Kohli's promotion saying he was not eligible for the post.

The tribunal even directed the secretary, Medical Education and Drugs (MED) Department, to initiate the process of filling the chair of the director by considering all eligible candidates.

Kohli challenged the MAT order in the Bombay High Court, but the court rejected his plea (copy available with MiD DAY).

On October 11, 2011, the government cancelled Kohli's promotion, but managed to keep him in the chair by giving him the additional charge of director of ayurveda.

Since then, several persons and organisations, including Dr Ved Tiwari from the city, Nagpur-based lawyer Tarun Parmar and city-based National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), have complained against Kohli (copies available with MiD DAY) to several authorities, including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavhan.

The government is yet to take cognizance of the issue. "I have been following the issue for years, but the government has kept mum on it," Tiwari said.

"If the government fails to take immediate cognizance of the matter, I will protest in my own way by resorting to mass agitations."u00a0

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Irregularities galore

>> Dr Kuldeepraj Kohli has allegedly registered himself as a medical practitioner in the state despite not being eligible for it. His name figures in the register of the Maharashtra State Council of Indian Medicine (MCIM) under the Maharashtra Medical Practitioner (MMP) Act, 1961, in Part I. The MD (Ayurveda) degree from Banaras Hindu University, on the basis of which Kohli has registered himself, is not included in Part I of the MMP Act 1961.u00a0

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>> The MCIM has gone against the law by providing him registration on the basis of his postgraduate qualification and not on the basis of his bachelor's qualification. According to Section 17 of the MMP Act, 1961, no practitioner can register himself on the basis of postgraduate qualification, as postgraduate qualifications are not included in the relevant part of the MMP Act, 1961. Kohli was said to be holding a BAM&S graduation degree awarded by the Jammu University, which was not included in the MMP Act, 1961, at the time of registration. This degree was also not recognised by the Central Council of Indian Medicine.u00a0

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>> Kohli registered himself as a medical practitioner in 1990 but has been practising medicine since 1985. It is a criminal offence to practise without registration. An experience certificate (No C/Gen/755, dated March 5, 1990) issued by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, shows he was working as a medical officer and lecturer and practising medicine in the out-patient and in-patient departments from January 31, 1985. Kohli submitted this certificate as well as MPSC while applying for the post of reader in Kaya-Chikitsa.u00a0

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>> An MPSC order states that Kohli provided wrong information during his registration. The MPSC also passed an order that Kohli was not eligible for the post.

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The other sideu00a0

Dr Kuldeepraj Pishorimal Kohli said, "I have all documents to prove that I have done nothing wrong. Some colleagues of mine are jealous about my progress. Your reporting on this issue is not going to affect me in any way." Iqbal Singh Chahal, secretary, Medical Education and Drugs Department, said, "Kohli is a brilliant person. I am aware about the court orders. I have informed the court that I am going to promote Kohli again, and the court has not objected. Some people who are objecting to Kohli's promotion are under our scanner. A departmental inquiry is going on against them."