HC orders striking doctors to resume work today

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court on Tuesday directed the 'striking' in-service doctors to report to their hospitals for work on Wednesday. The court also restrained the state authorities from further arresting doctors, provided they resume work.
The division bench of chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog and justice DC Somani issued these directions during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Abhinav Sharma on Tuesday.

Petitioner Sharma argued that the doctors have gone on a strike again in violation of the court order and demanded cancellation of the agreement reached between the doctors' union and the government on November 12. Sharma also urged for contempt proceedings against the leaders of the doctors' association.

State advocate general Narpat Mal Lodha, appearing for the state government, said that as per the instructions of the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors' Association, the doctors have not applied for mass leave, yet they are not reporting to work. This, he said, effectively means that the doctors are on a 'strike'.

Government acting in a vindictive manner: Doctors

Mahesh Sharma, counsel for Dr Ajay Chaudhary and Dr Durga Shankar Saini, president and secretary of the doctors' association respectively, said that in order to raise their grievances, theunion had called for a one-day mass leave on December 18 but as thestate authorities started arresting doctors, this caused fear among the doctors who went intohiding.

He allegedthat health minister Kali Charan Saraf had provokeddoctors by using unparliamentary language. He said that 65 doctors have been put under illegal confinement and the government had unleashed a reign of terror. The government had not allowed the doctors to discharge their duties. He said the doctors were willing to returnto work provided a congenial atmosphere is ensured. He said the government, instead of implementing the agreement, started acting in a vindictive wayby transferring doctors on a large scale. The court then verbally asked both the sides to restrain from using unparliamentary language and fixedthe next hearing for January 3.