Amid allegations about his extension of services by the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP), the director of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Dr Rama Rao has resigned on November 16. Dr Rao was on extension till December 31 this year.

According to sources, the board of governors of the premier institute, which met on November 17, has recommended to the government to accept his resignation. Dr Rao's five-year term as the director of the institute had ended on August 31 this year and he has been given four months extension by the DoP till the appointment of the new director.

But his extension by the DoP is now mired in controversy as the president's office is learnt to have taken strong objection to the DoP's action. As per the statute, the director of the NIPER is appointed by the order of the President of India and any extension is also made by the order of the president of India on recommendation of DoP. But, in the case of Dr Rao's case, the DoP conveniently circumvented these norms and announced the extension of Dr Rao for four months. Annoyed over the incident, the President's office has asked for explanations from the minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers MK Alagiri, sources said.

A Left party MP has also taken up the issue with the president, drawing her attention “towards abuse of the acts and statutes of NIPER by bureaucratic nexus of Dr T Rama Swami secretary Science and Technology and chairman of Board of Governors of NIPER, Ashok Kumar, secretary Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers and professor P Rama Rao director NIPER as to how they hoodwinked the honourable minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Alagiri in to assuming the powers vested in you as visitor of NIPER by granting approval for the extension of Dr P Rama Rao as director NIPER for a period of four months pending 31 December 09”.

Sources added that some senior officials in the DoP and the chairman of the board of governors Dr T Ramasami were keen to give another five-year term to Dr Rao for reasons best known to them only. It was under this backdrop that Dr Rao, whose term was to expire on August 31, deliberately did not initiative steps for finding a new director, hoping that he could continue in the post. Normally, the government initiates steps like advertisements in newspapers at least six months in advance of the date of retirement, if not more, sources said.

But, when they failed to get the majority support in the 22-member board of governors of the institute, the DoP went for the extension.

Meanwhile, when contacted Dr Rama Rao refused to be dragged into any controversy. “I have resigned. Since the file is with the ministry, I will not say anything on it,” he said.