Bengal Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee, after meeting with the protesting junior doctors, has announced that she had agreed to three of the five demands of the protesting doctors — the removal of two top officials of the health department and the Chief of Kolkata police. Along with it, the police chief of the city’s north zone – where RG Kar Medical College, the hospital where the rape-murder of a young doctor took place, is located — will also be removed. The formal orders will be issued tomorrow.
“I think the meeting was positive. Am sure they think too,” she said. “Or why else we will sign the minutes of the meeting and they would sign it too?” she added.
“We have accepted more of their demands, because they are young. I know they say they will go and discuss and then will decide on lifting the ceasework. But I have requested them to do so, citing the condition of patients, especially in view of the floods in some of the districts,” the Chief Minister said.
About the removal of the two health officials — the Director of Medical Education and the Director of the Health Services — Ms Banerjee said they would be given transfers to proper posts.
“We are not dishonouring them. They have not been in the post for long and have done nothing wrong. But since the students said they do not have trust in them, we have accepted,” Ms Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister’s announcement took place close to midnight, after a two-hour meeting with the protesting doctors and another 2.5 hours to type out the minutes of the meeting.
The announcement is seen as a capitulation of sorts. The Chief Minister had earlier said that city police chief Vineet Goyal would be retained for at least the Durga puja. He had asked to resign several times, but she wanted him to stay back, she had said.
The demand for Mr Goyal’s removal came in view of allegations about the police role in evidence tampering after the rape-murder of August 9. This was commented on multiple times by the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court.
Last week, the Central Bureau of Investigation or the CBI, which is investigating the case, has arrested the hospital’s former Principal Sandip Ghosh and a senior officer of the local police.
