Panel to look into use of vehicle by retired official

In order to avoid paying a penalty of Rs7.5 million imposed on him in respect of rent and maintenance for unauthorised use of an official double-cabin vehicle, an influential retired doctor of the health department has allegedly gotten a new inquiry committee formed of his choice.

Sources said instead of implementing the decision of the inquiry committee to collect Rs7.5 million from Dr Khalid Mahmood Randhawa – who remained posted in key positions in the health department – for illegally using the official double-cabin vehicle for seven consecutive years even after his retirement, a new inquiry committee has been constituted.

However, differences of opinion have emerged in the new inquiry committee as one member has refused to be a part of the investigative panel, the sources added.

The official vehicle of the District Health Authority was recovered from the ex-district health officer and former medical superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital and Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplantation Dr Khalid Mahmood Randhawa on the order of former provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid following which an inquiry committee comprising Dr Amir Sheikh, Dr Naveed Akhtar and Muhammad Ahmed Bhatta was constituted to investigate the matter.

In its decision on October 20, 2022, the said committee recommended recovery of Rs7.5 million from Dr Randhawa in respect of rent, maintenance and illegal use of the official vehicle.

However, instead of implementing this decision, the Rawalpindi DC formed a new inquiry committee on January 19, 2023, comprising Chairman Dr Tahir Rizvi, MS Benazir Bhutto General Hospital and Dr Irfan Khalji, Additional MS District Headquarters Hospital, Dr Ehsan Ghani, District Health Officer, Dr Sarfraz Khan, Transport Officer DHA, and Dr Saadat Ali, MS Wah General Hospital, were included as members.

Dr Ghani, however, declined to be a part of the committee while Dr Saadat took the position that since the DC is the administrator of primary and secondary health services, therefore, specialised healthcare representatives cannot be included in the committee by exercising his powers.

Disagreeing with this position, a letter was issued to Dr Saadat on behalf of the Committee Chairman Dr Rizvi, claiming that the DC had the authority to do so, calling a meeting of the committee on February 11 while seeking the complete record.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2023.