SKIMS continues to be autonomous body: J&K Govt

Capital expenditure funds ranging from Rs 22 crore to Rs 34 crore lapsed in last 3 fiscals

Jammu, Mar 22 (KNO): The Jammu & Kashmir Government on Saturday informed the Legislative Assembly that SKIMS Soura continues to be an autonomous institution and there has been no change regarding it in the pre and post- reorganization business rules of J&K Government.

It also claimed that capital expenditure funds ranging from Rs 21 crore to Rs 34 crore were lapsed in SKIMS Soura during the last three financial years.

In its reply to a question of MLA Tangmarg Farooq Ahmad Shah, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Minister in-charge Health and Medical Education Sakina Masood Ittoo informed the House that SKIMS continues to be an autonomous institution.

“SKIMS Soura was established in the year 1976. SKIMS continues to be an autonomous institution. This is true for both SKIMS as a tertiary care hospital and as a deemed university. It continues to grant degrees as per SKIMS (Grant of Degrees Act), 1983. Further the Budget allocation for SKIMS continues to be on the grants of the Health Department, as was previously,” the minister said.

The government said that there has been no change in business rules of the J & K Government vis-à-vis SKIMS.

“As per the First Schedule of Government Business Rules of erstwhile State of J&K, the subject of SKIMS was assigned to Health of Medical Education and post re-organisation the same continued via Transation of Business Rules-2019 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs via notification GSR-534(e), dated 27.08.2020. So there is no change vis-à-vis transaction of business rules of SKIMS, “the government said.

The government claimed that recruitment of gazetted and non-gazetted staff of SKIMS Soura was transferred to the Public Service Commission and Services Selection Board, in the interest of patient-care and to make the recruitment process transparent, time –bound and merit-based.

“With respect to appointments and promotions, it was observed that vaccines in both gazetted (including faculty) and non-gazetted positions had got piled up over the years. In order to support and strengthen the institution, in the interest of patient care and to make the recruitment process and promotion processes transparent, time bound and merit-based, the services and expertise of two dedicated recruitment agencies, Jammu and Kashmir Public service Commission and Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board have been provided to SKIMS for recruitment of gazetted (including faculty) and non-gazetted posts,” it said.

“JKPSC is a constitutional body and JKSSB is an expert recruitment body known to have delivered in a very transparent and expeditious manner,” the government added.

The government claimed that services of Jammu & Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation were extended to SKIMS Soura as its internal purchase mechanisms were insufficient and extremely sluggish to meet its requirements.

It claimed Rs 34. 16 crore capital expenditure lapsed in 2021-22, Rs 21.72 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 34.22 crore in 2023-24—(KNO)