Kolkata: Five weeks of protests triggered by the Aug 9 rape-murder at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital culminated in Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee yielding to the protesting junior doctors' demand for the removal of four top officials - Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal, DCP (North) Abhishek Gupta, director of medical education Kaustuv Nayek, and director of health services Debashis Haldar - after a meeting lasting a shade over two hours.
Mamata announced the breakthrough in talks with a 42-strong delegation at her residence in Kolkata's Kalighat shortly after the junior doctors left around midnight, saying the govt had acceded to "some of our demands".
"I saluted them for their agitation and am happy with the outcome of the meeting,” Mamata told reporters.
Mamata told reporters, "They raised several issues and we gave our views, but tried to listen to their demands as much as possible. They are much younger. So, we tried to accord as much importance to their demands as possible after starting the meeting."
The state govt expects junior doctors of state-run hospitals - on cease-work since Aug 9 - to now return to work "for the people's sake".
“Their first demand was justice for the crime," the CM said, adding that the focus was now on CBI as it was probing the crime.
"They had four other demands, the first being the removal of the director of medical education, director of health services and the health secretary. I told them that the administration would not function if all of them were removed at the same time. So, we have decided to remove DME Kaustuv Nayek and DHS Debashis Haldar," Mamata said.
"Both had just taken up these assignments. But the students were very angry and did not have faith in them. So, they will be moved from their posts."
The CM said city police chief Goyal would hand over charge to his successor on Tuesday. “Vineet has agreed to move to a post he wants. I have told the doctors that the police work for the government and so we have to look after them as well,” she said. Another of the doctors' demands - safety and security deployment at hospitals and medical colleges - would be given “full importance”, the CM said.
“The meeting ended on a positive note. So they signed the minutes,” she said, referring to the doctors. “Our appeal to them is go and and discuss these issues with your friends but do return to work for people’s sake,” Mamata said.
