SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 17: Dr A P Mandal, retired controversial civil surgeon (CS) of Bokaro district faces a fine of 10 percent pension deduction after being named in a charge sheet under a departmental probe.
The joint secretary of Jharkhand State Health and Family Welfare Department Vidyanand Sharma Pankaj in this regard, issued a second show cause notice to Dr Mandal on Tuesday, to reply to it by January 31, 2023, or to face a 10 percent pension deduction for 10 years.
“If you fail to reply to the second notice in the stipulated time (till January 31), it would be considered that you have nothing to say about the charge against you and departmental action would be initiated duly as per rules,” said the joint secretary in the notice to Dr Mandal.
Dr Mandal, a resident of the Bhagalpur district of Bihar, did not reply to the first notice from the Jharkhand health department.
The health department on April 28, 2022, initiated a departmental probe against Dr Mandal in the wake of alleged charges, including corruption among others leveled against him while he was the civil surgeon of Bokaro. Dr Mandal had reportedly purchased furniture worth rupees several lakhs without taking prior departmental approval.
Dr Mandal, one of the senior medical officers of the state, has remained controversial even during his service. He faced charges of committing irregularities in the case of funds as civil surgeon of Bokaro district and was duly removed from the post.
In 2014, he was promoted as a Reproductive Child Healthcare (RCH) officer in Dhanbad but was called to the state headquarters in Ranchi soon for filing a case. Later again, he was sent to Dhanbad as district leprosy officer (DLO).
In 2016, Dr Mandal was made civil surgeon of the Jamtara district. However, due to an unsavoury incident in Jamtara circuit house where Dr Mandal had been staying, he was demoted as Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) and sent to Sahibganj district. However, later on, he was given charge of the civil surgeon.
Later, a reshuffle of medical officers in the health department transferred him to Bokaro district in 2017 as a civil surgeon. Dr Mandal was reportedly involved in a departmental dispute with the then deputy superintendent of Bokaro Sadar hospital Dr Arjun Prasad. The then deputy commissioner had to intervene to ensure the smooth functioning of Sadar hospital. Later on, charges of fund irregularities surfaced and Dr Mandal was removed.
