The doctor at the centre of the hijab controversy involving Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has finally joined government service in Patna after weeks of delay. She had also received a separate job offer from Jharkhand with a salary of Rs 3 lakh per month before reporting for duty.
New Delhi: Dr Nusrat Parveen, who came into the public spotlight after a controversial incident involving Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has finally joined government service on Wednesday. Her joining comes more than three weeks after her appointment order was first issued on December 15.
Officials confirmed to The Times of India that Dr Parveen submitted her joining report at the Civil Surgeon’s office in Patna. She has been posted at the Sabalpur Primary Health Centre (PHC) under the Patna Sadar subdivision.
Her joining has brought relief to the state health department, which had earlier warned that if she did not report for duty by the January 7 deadline, her appointment could be cancelled.
Dr Parveen’s induction into government service was delayed due to intense public, political and social scrutiny. The controversy began after a video from a December 15 appointment letter distribution event went viral. The video showed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lifting her veil, which led to political outrage and widespread debate across the state.
Initially, the Bihar health department had directed her to join service by December 20, just days after the incident. However, when she did not report for duty the following week, the department extended the deadline first to December 31 and then again to January 7, citing “special circumstances”.
During this period of uncertainty, Dr Parveen reportedly also received a job offer from the Jharkhand government, with a proposed salary of Rs 3 lakh per month, which further added to the public discussion around her appointment.
A senior Bihar government official said that Dr Parveen completed all mandatory medical examinations on January 6 and formally joined service with the state the next day. “She has completed all joining formalities. We hope the matter ends here,” the official said.
With Dr Parveen now officially on duty, senior officials said the health department intends to put the episode behind it and focus on regular administrative functioning.
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