Sanjiv Chaturvedi moves CAT against Health Ministry and AIIMS over appraisal report

NEW DELHI: Controversial Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi has moved the CAT against Health Ministry and AIIMS order allegedly nullifying his Annual Performance Appraisal Report ( APAR) and directing him to re-write it.

Chaturvedi has claimed the Self Appraisals done by him and approved by top authorities have "attained finality" with "outstanding grade".

In his complaint to the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chaturvedi has termed the May 28 order as "part of vindictive actions" he has been facing from the Health Ministry and AIIMS because of his lawful actions in corruption cases of politically influential officials during his stint as Chief Vigilance Officer of the prestitious institute from July 7, 2012 to August 14, 2014.

Chaturvedi continues to be the Deputy Director of AIIMS after being relieved of the charge of CVO last year. Following his removal, he had written to then Union health Minister Harsh Vardhan that he had been divested of the CVO's post under the influence of corrupt officials.

He has been asked to re-write his APAR for the period from April 1, 2014 to July 15, 2014, which he claimed has already attained finality with him receiving "outstanding grade".

Chaturvedi has claimed the order was in blatant violation of the All India Services (Performance Appraisal Report) Rules, 2007 according to which it is mandatory to write more than one Annual Performance Appraisal Report in case of more than one reporting authority supervising the performance of an officer for more than 90 days.

He said the order directing him to submit only one self-appraisal report disregarded the fact that there were more than one reporting authorities for the applicant.

In his complaint, the officer has claimed the order was solely intended to finish his career and "to teach him a lesson for his lawful actions against powerful vested interests".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had some time back requested the Centre to relieve Chaturvedi of his charge so he could be posted to his office as Officer on Special Duty.

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had recently written to the Health Ministry seeking No Objection Certificate for Sanjiv Chaturvedi to facilitate his deputation to Kejriwal's office.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had in April asked the MoEF to submit cadre clearance and procure NOC from the Union Health Ministry for the Haryana cadre IFoS officer.