Shimla, Nov 5 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the principal secretary (health) to hold an inquiry and fix responsibility against the erring officials who have concealed information about availability of two postgraduate seats in two medical colleges for in-service candidates.

The officials thereon allotted these seats to two other candidates who were lower in merit than the petitioners.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed the orders on petitions filed by Disha Sharma and Pankaj Katoch.

It directed the principal secretary to submit the inquiry report by Dec 31.

The bench, however, did not grant any relief to the petitioners, observing that there may be more meritorious candidates other than them.

But it noted that the lapses on part of the officials cannot be ignored. It said they acted in the most callous and negligent manner in carrying out admissions in the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla and the Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Tanda town.

The court directed that henceforth, the admissions to MD/MS courses shall strictly be in consonance with the prescribed procedure.

The schedule for admissions shall be religiously followed and vacant seats shall be notified at least a week earlier to the next counselling by displaying the same on the college notice board and its website.

The medical colleges have also been directed to carry out admissions on merit.