Chandigarh, July 31 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has directed the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to provide data to ascertain as to how many persons are there in the feeder cadre eligible to be considered for promotion for various nursing posts of nursing superintendent, deputy nursing superintendent, assistant nursing superintendent and senior nursing officer (earlier known as Sister, Grade - I). The directions were issued by the bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry during resumed hearing of a suo motu proceedings initiated by HC on June 19 while acting on a news report which claimed that 60% of the nursing posts are vacant. The report had cited shortage of staff as one of the reasons for overcrowding at the hospital.Taking a serious note, the HC had sought a status report from the institute. In response to June 19 proceedings, the PGIMER had said that 91.3% of the total sanctioned posts are filled up in the nursing cadre. Further, 194 posts of senior nursing officers are vacant as on date, due to a litigation. These posts will be filled up in accordance with the outcome of the dispute, the institute claimed. In other cadres, such as assistant nursing superintendent, deputy nursing superintendent, nursing officer, public health nursing officer and nursing superintendent etc., very few posts (8.5%) are vacant, due to either non-availability of eligible candidates in the feeder cadre or due to recent resignations, it had claimed. The PGIMER, however, had admitted to a shortage of hospital attendants at the institute. "The aforesaid direction (direction on feeder cadre) is issued since the stand is taken by PGIMER that there are no eligible candidates available to fill the said posts. Let an affidavit be filed by PGIMER on the next date of hearing," the court said while deferring hearing for August 26....