Doctors go ‘underground’as crackdown begins, 52 held
PREEMPTIVE STRIKE In operations that began Friday night, police started arresting inservice doctors under RESMA; the helath staff had threatened to go on mass leave beginning Monday
Fifty-two doctors were arrested Saturday as Rajasthan government cracked down on in-service doctors who have threatened to go on indefinite mass leave beginning Monday.
Health services across the state, especially in rural areas, remained affected as several doctors left their posts and went underground as government launched operations late Friday night under Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance (RESMA) Act, 1970.
The doctors had threatened to go on mass leave demanding that 12 doctors who had been transferred following last month’s strike be reinstated.
Following a week-long strike from November 6 to 12, the government had signed an agreement with the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association (ARISDA) accepting the latter’s 33 demands. ARISDA president Dr Ajay Choudhary and general secretary Dr Durgashankar Saini said that on November 28, the government transferred 12 doctors. Following this, the in-service doctors launched a protest beginning December 1 and started attending the patients under the tents outside the health facilities.
JAIPUR:
ARISDA LISTS DEMANDS
The ARISDA officials said that now their demands are to cancel the transfer orders; to approve the period they were on strike as leave so that they could get the salary of November month; and to appoint a doctor instead of a Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer on the post of additional director (gazetted). They are also demanding that as per the government’s assurance, the cases and other action initiated during the period of agitation should be withdrawn. They also want the government to withdraw the charge-sheets issued against the doctors who had boycotted meeting and training programmes during the “noncooperation movement”.
NO LENIENCY: MINISTER
State health minister Kali Charan Saraf, however, said the arrests of in-service doctors will continue till they call off their proposed strike . “Doctors in state want to get their demands fulfilled on the gun point but government will not succumb to them,” he said.
Saraf said that on November 12, the government had agreed to their 33 demands, most of which have been implemented, while few were in the process to be implemented.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) NRK Reddy confirmed that that “52 in-service doctors have been arrested across the state from Friday night till now.”
‘PROVED’, SAYS ARISDA
The ARISDA officials, however claim accused the government of “provoking them”.
“We have sought time from the chief minister to apprise her about our problems, but the government has started arresting the doctors. We gave time till December 18 so that talks can be held even as were serving the patients so that they do not face any problem. But government has provoked us to take extreme step,” ARISDA president said.
ARRESTS ACROSS STATE
According to reports, police arrested three doctors from their residences late Friday night in Bharatpur. They have been booked under RESMA. Drs Kaptan Singh, Mukesh Vashistha, Manish Goyal were arrested under section 151 of CrPC but released on bail Saturday.
A group of doctors reached Mathura Gate police station Saturday morning and assured the city circle officer, Avad Dan Ratnoo, that they won’t go on strike. Ratnoo said the delegation gave it in writing. “Police will not conduct raids against them but action will be taken if they join the strike,” the CO said.
Five doctors , including Bundi district ARISDA president Dr Kalp Shandilya, were arrested in different part of Hadauti region.
Similarly, Kota police arrested Drs Manish Arora and Kuldeep Rana Saturday and conducted raids at the residences of some office bearers of ARISDA. Dr Mrityunjay from Jhalawar was also arrested.
ARISDA general secretary, who hails from Kota, went underground following police raids. In a video message he equated the state government’s rule with British era and accused it of imposing undeclared emergency in Rajasthan.
Three doctors, including Ajmer district ARISDA president, were arrested Kishangarh.
Earlier, Barmer police Friday night arrested three doctors. City police station in-charge Amar Singh said the doctors have been booked under IPC’s Section 151. Several doctors, including chief medical and health officer and principal medical officer, gathered outside the police station and protested. The doctors were Saturday released on bail.
Dr Kamlesh Choudhary, chief medical and health officer, said protesting against the way police arrested the doctors while they were on duty, doctors in rural areas boycotted the duty on Saturday.