Henceforth, nobody in West Bengal Cabinet other than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will react on the twin issues of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the protests over the incident by junior doctors in the State.
Sources close to the development said Chief Minister Banerjee has issued strict directives to her Cabinet colleagues on this count during a meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday, which was chaired by her.
Also, the party spokespersons have been asked not to make any comment on the issue till further instructions from the Chief Minister, the sources added.
At the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Banerjee also pressed for hastening up the task of setting up the five additional fast-track POCSO courts.
The sources also said that the Chief Minister has directed her Cabinet colleagues to take more responsibilities of their respective ministries and departments.
It is learnt that against the backdrop of the continuing protests by the junior doctors over the ghastly rape and murder of the trainee doctor, Chief Minister Banerjee has decided to convene a meeting of all the principals and medical superintendent-cum-vice principals of the state-run medical colleges and hospitals on September 12.
According to sources, all district magistrates, police superintendents, police commissionerate heads, and chief medical officers of different districts have been asked to be present at the meeting.
The meeting will discuss the security measures that would have to be put in place in the state's medical colleges immediately so that R.G Kar-like incidents do not happen in the future, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the protesting representatives of the medical fraternity, comprising senior and junior doctors, medical students, as well as members of the nursing community, continued their sit-in demonstration outside the Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake near here, which is the headquarters of the state Health Department.
The protesting doctors, for their part, said their sit-in would continue unless their main demands were met, which include suspension of the Health Secretary, Director of Health Services, and the Director of Medical Education.
The Supreme Court on Monday said doctors in West Bengal protesting against the R.G. Kar rape-murder must return to work by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, failing which the state government will be free to take disciplinary action against them.
However, unnerved by the Supreme Court ultimatum, hours later the junior doctors vowed to continue their agitation and gave a call to march to the Swasthya Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon.
Read also| Stalemate Persists as Protesting Doctors Reject Mamata's Offer for Talks
Read also| RG Kar Case: SC Directs CBI to Submit Fresh Status Report, Next Hearing on September 17
