The controversy surrounding the appointment of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) refuses to die down as a contempt of court petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the appointment of Dr GN Singh as DCGI by the Union health ministry on February 21 this year.

The contempt of court petition has been filed in the Supreme Court but the petition is yet to be listed as the court is on vacation due to Holi celebrations.  The court may take its view on the petition once it reconvenes after the Holi celebrations next week, sources said.

According to the sources, the contempt of court petition has been filed by Dilip Kumar, secretary, Tamil Nadu branch, Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) who had earlier challenged the health ministry's new Recruitment Rule (RR) in the Madras High Court on the plea that the ministry had tailor-made the new rules to fit its nominee in the post of DCGI.

Earlier on February 13 this year, hearing the writ petition filed by Dilip Kumar, the Supreme Court had ordered that Madras High Court's earlier stay on the Recruitment Rule (RR) framed by the ministry in June last year for the appointment of DCGI should be continued. The Supreme Court's order virtually barred the government from appointing anybody as DCGI as per the new RR till the pendency of the case in Madras High Court.

But instead of waiting for the final settlement of the issue in the Madras High Court, the health ministry in a proactive action appointed Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)'s secretary-cum-scientific director Dr G N Singh as DCGI. Dr Singh was given additional charge as the DCGI on February 21 this year.

The bone of contention between the government and the petitioner is the heath ministry's new recruitment rule. While the petitioner in his petition to the court pleads that the ministry has tailor-made the new rules to fit its nominee in the post of DCGI, the health ministry appears to be fumbling to find a proper answer to the pleas of the petitioner.