Mamata Banerjee Sacks Kolkata Top Cop, Two Key Health Officials After Meeting With Doctors

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee On Friday sacked Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal after meeting with the protesting junior doctors in the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. The meeting with the medics went for nearly two hours as doctors demanded justice for trainee-doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at the state-run hospital. The appointment of new Kolkata Police Commissioner is likely to be announced on Tuesday (today). Deputy Commissioner North will also be transferred, she informed.

In view of the demand of junior doctors, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal said in the meeting that he is ready to resign. At 4 pm today, he will hand over the responsibility to the new Commissioner of Police.

Mamata Banerjee has also informed that the state's Director of Health Services and Director of Medical Education will also be removed.

Addressing the media, Mamata Banerjee said, "We have decided to remove director of health services, director of medical education. Also the new commissioner of Kolkata Police will be appointed on Tuesday (today).

A committee headed by chief secretary will look into demands of agitating junior doctors, Mamata Banerjee further said.

The Bengal CM said she has urged agitating doctors to withdraw cease work as three of their five demands have been accepted adding no punitive action will be taken against protesting doctors.

Meanwhile, the agitating doctors said that there have been agreements on few points and disagreements over some others. 42 agitating doctors and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant signed minutes of meeting, Mamata said.

“There were alot of higher officials present in the meeting. I had CS Manoj Pant, Rajiv Kumar, Chandrima Bhattacharya, under security and a lot of officials were also present in the meeting. The decisions take had been in mutual discussion to both parties,” the Chief Minister said.

Speaking to media, Mamata Banerjee said, “They had four demands... first one was that they had mentioned three names including health secretary. We have decided to remove DME (Director of Medical Education) and DHS (Director of Health Services) as per their demands. They also demanded to remove CP Vineet Goyal. We have agreed to that and have decided to remove him after 4 pm (on Tuesday) and Vineet Goyal will hand over his responsibilities to a new CP. We have also decided to remove North DC."

"A committee has been formed under chief secretary, in case of any further issues. They (doctors) can raise any issue to the chief secretary in the future," says Mamata Banerjee added.

Meanwhile, protesting junior doctors said, “We have raised our demands... there are some agreements and some disagreements. We have told the authorities that we will not take any decisions regarding withdrawing the protest and 'cease work' without consulting with our protesting doctors.” 

Mamata-Doctors Minutes of Meeting 

1. The first demand of the WBJDF is under the jurisdiction of the CВІ. The State Government will provide all necessary assistance as required for expediting the completion of the enquiry and justice to the deceased.
2. As regards to their demands relating to action against Kolkata Police, the CP Kolkata Police and DC North will be transferred.
3. As regards the health manpower, the present DME and DHS will be transferred.
4. Rs 100 crores have been sanctioned for hospital infrastructure like CCTV, Wash room etc., which will be formalized in close consultation with the medical fraternity.
5. The composition of the Rogi Kalyan Samity will be revised to make it more inclusive through inclusion of all stakeholders.
6. ⁠The issues regarding safety and security within the hospital and college premises was discussed. The State Government proposed that a Task Force headed by the Chief Secretary and including the Home Secretary, the DG Police and CP Kolkata as well as representatives as would be proposed by the Junior doctors will look into the related matters.
7. An effective and responsive grievance redressal mechanism will be put into place in the medical infrastructure across hospitals and colleges.
8. ⁠The Junior doctors were requested to join back at the duties. It was jointly resolved to work in close coordination to discuss and resolve all issues faced by the medical fraternity at the level of Chief Secretary.
9. WBJDF representatives expressed disagreements with regard to no disciplinary actions against DC Central and transfer of Health Secretary. As regards ensuring safety and security, it was intimated by WBJDF that further discussions regarding specific formulations of the same will be required. It was also proposed that the existing threat culture prevalent in the medical colleges can be removed after further deliberations through specific formulations (democratically elected students unions and RDAs etc.