Vishal
WHEREAS, the Department of Health & Family Welfare is dedicated to ensuring that all state citizens have access to quality health care through its various directorates, institutions, and establishments. While it is observed that the department’s ability to provide such services has been declined due to a lack of medical and paramedical employees at many levels, and it has been noticed that the department has never fixed these issues and that there is a significant delayarence between the department’s requirement of doctors and the recommendation of elected candidatures at the present
AND WHEREAS, it is believed that a statutory body called the “West Bengal Health Recruitment Board” should be established to oversee the hiring process for certain positions within the Government’s Health and Family Welfare Department (including those reporting to the Governor), thus removing these positions from the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission of West Bengal. This would be done by the provisions of Article 320 of the Indian Constitution, and the proposed system would ensure smooth operations.
West Bengal Health Recruitment Board – Composition
- Chairman — An individual with experience in the fields of Administration, Finance, Public Health, Medicine, Law, or the Labour Department who is either currently employed or has retired (age limit 62 years) and whose grade salary is at least that of an officer in the rank of Special Secretary At the board’s helm, the Chairman will preside over all operations.
- Permanent Members —Three individuals will be appointed to this position: (1) The second member should also be a serving or retired officer with grade pay equal to or greater than that of the officer holding the position of Joint Secretary. (2) The first member must be an officer with a grade pay equal to or greater than the officer holding the position of Joint Secretary, either currently serving or retired. (3) The government shall follow the procedures established by law to select a third member. Competence on par with the Chairman’s will be necessary for their appointment.
- The ministries of Backward Classes Welfare, Minority Affairs & Madrasah Education, Women & Child Development, and Social Welfare of the Government of West Bengal may nominate an additional member to the Board, up to the rank of Joint Secretary, to supplement the three members above, as needed.
Staff and Officers of the Board-
- Here is the staffing breakdown for the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board:
- Secretary — The WBCS (Executive) officers in the position of Deputy Secretary (with a minimum of 20 years of service in the Pay Band-48 with a Grade Pay of Rs. 7,600/-) or higher are eligible to be appointed to the position of Secretary of the Board.
- Deputy Secretary — State government officers will appoint two additional positions with at least two years of experience in Pay Band-4A and a Grade Pay of Rs. 6,600/ or higher.
- Law Officer (One) –Lawyer who works for the West Bengal Legal Service
- Accounts Officer (One) – One position is for an accounts officer recruited from the West Bengal Audit and Accounts Service.
- Manager Database (One) – One position is for a database manager, and they are given a salary of 4,400/-in the pay band 4.
Duties And Functions:
- In the Department of Health and Family Welfare, which reports directly to the Governor, the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board (WBHRB) chooses and recommends individuals for direct recruitment to permanent or temporary positions. Disclosed in subsequent notifications will be positions inside the Secretariat of the Health and Family Welfare Department, positions within the Head Quarters of the Directorates under the Health and Family Welfare Department, and any other positions or services that may be omitted. At least until further notice, the WBHRB will use the current recruitment rules for each post category to select candidates.
- The state government has the authority to dissolve the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board and establish a temporary mechanism to carry out its functions if it believes the board needs to full obligations as stated in this Notification. The government can reassemble the board after dissolving it if it follows the procedures outlined in this Resolution. The dissolution can be announced in the Kolkata Gazette, and the reason must be explained. This is considered to have amended or superseded any previous orders about this matter, and the Board will resume its functions upon reconstitution.
- As per UO No. 1890 Gr. ‘P’ (Service), this Notification has been approved by the Finance Department. Dated June 6, 2011, read with official seal No. 2376 Gr—subject: “P” (Service) Dated September 29, 2011.
- The positions listed in paragraph ‘C’ Sub-para-1 will be removed from the West Bengal Public Service Commission’s jurisdiction as soon as a regulation is published in the official gazette exempting consultation with the ‘West Bengal Public Service Commission’ under clause (3) of Article 320 of the Indian Constitution.
- Later, the office location of West Bengal Health Recruitment Board and other details will be announced.
IAS Officer Playing the Role of ‘Singham’ in Bengal Takes Action to Make Sure His District Eats Healthily!
Food safety is a personal matter for Nikhil Nirmal, a West Bengal district that was created only in June 2014 and a 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service officer who was just appointed as the District Magistrate of Alipurduar.
West Bengal is not alone in India when it comes to the widespread disregard for food safety as a matter of public health. My own experience with a close friend’s death last year at the hands of food poisoning at a famous Cochin restaurant makes this a subject close to my heart. When asked about his death, Nikhil told The Better India that it was due to a bacterial infection that he had contracted from eating dirty food.
Many complaints concerning food adulteration and unsanitary practices had reached the district administration before his assumption of charge. As a result of insufficient administrative resources, the Alipurduar Municipality position of Food Inspector (FI) remained unfill, so no action was taken.
Based on the many complaints received, Nikhil immediately proceeded to crack down on the town’s hotels, restaurants, food vendors, and similar businesses.
