KMC docs likely to meet deputy mayor to convey demands

Kolkata: With no apparent results coming out of Saturday’s meeting with the civic body’s Health department top official, doctors of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) are likely to meet the member mayor-in-council (MMIC) of the department, Atin Ghosh, who is also the deputy mayor.

The doctors on Saturday met the CMHO Subrata Roy Chowdhury and conveyed their demands to him, one among which includes that KMC lend support to the doctors in their protest against the alleged arbitrary detention of their colleague. However, after the meeting, the doctors told the media that no solution was reached in that meeting as the KMC is reluctant to lend any kind of support. Tapabrata Ray, the doctor who was arrested by the police, lamented that so far the MMIC health Atin Ghosh has not even met him once to discuss the matter. On Friday, the West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF) wrote to the Municipal Commissioner and Chief Municipal Health Officer urging that KMC take a firm stand by publicly condemning the Kolkata Police for this illegal detention and extend all necessary legal assistance to Dr Roy, including quashing of all charges, unconditionally and with immediate effect.

Dr Tapabrata Ray also moved the Calcutta High Court where his matter has been listed for hearing on October 22, at the vacation bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda. Ray was on emergency duty at the Durga Puja carnival at Red Road as part of KMC’s medical team when he was detained by the police and taken to Maidan Police Station for allegedly wearing a badge with ‘Pratiki Anashankari’ written on it to express solidarity with the junior doctors who are fasting unto death.

Ray was released from the police station four hours later after a group of doctors and others staged a protest there.