WB: Multiple Doctors Transferred After They Exposed Corruption and Rigging in Medical Council Elections

Irregularities in the Medical Council Elections in West Bengal were followed by the transfers of 19 doctors; it is alleged that four members of the joint platform of anti-regime doctors are on the transfer list. The list also includes a few counting agents who protested the irregularities.

Prominent doctors on the list include Dr Basu, Dr Paraga Baran Pal, Dr Mansa Kumar Gumta, Dr Tulika Jha, and Dr Saraswati Dutta (Bodhak).

Dr Basu posted on social media that he got aware of the transfer order through media.

The events that resulted in these transfers started two days ago. A case has already been filed in the Calcutta High Court regarding irregularities in the State Medical Council Elections.

On Friday, December 16, on the orders of High Court Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya, the Special Officer went to the Medical Council and seized all the documents related to the election. Later that evening, guidelines for the transfer of teachers and doctors were issued.

On the day of the Medical Council polls in October this year, the opposition was threatened because they protested the arbitrariness and corruption of the government, massive rigging and looting of medical council elections.

According to a group of doctors, Navanna carried out that threat on Friday. Some of those who were served transfer notices on Friday were opposition candidates in the council election. The medical circles of the state consider this transfer vindictive. However, the Swasthya Bhawan sources have claimed that it is merely a routine transfer.

These doctors actively protested to prevent vote looting and ballot box rigging in this year's state medical council elections. They vehemently opposed the conspiracy of the ruling party's medical leaders to gain unfair influence. The names on the list include Dr Basu and Dr Pal, the opposition candidates in the elections. Besides, other names on the transfer list protested the government's arbitrariness during the election.

According to the transfer list, Dr Basu, currently working at National Medical College Hospital, Kolkata, has been transferred to Jhargram Medical College Hospital. Dr Pal was working at the College of Medicine and Sagar Dutta Hospital. He has been transferred to Deven Mahato Medical College Hospital in Purulia. Dr Gumta was working in the College of Medicine and Sagar Dutta Hospital. He has been transferred to Bankura Sammilani Medical College Hospital.

Besides, Dr Jha, who was working at Rampurhat Medical College Hospital, has been transferred to Raiganj Medical College Hospital in North Bengal. She refused to hand the ballots to government officials and protested vote looting by the ruling party's medical leaders during the medical council elections.

Dr Dutta, who was working at Calcutta Medical College Hospital, has been transferred to Bankura Sammilani Medical College Hospital.

The Association of Health Service Doctors, West Bengal, has strongly condemned the transfer, calling it purposeful. According to various doctors of the state, there are some names on this transfer list who could not accept the arbitrariness of the government in the election. Medical organisations, including the Association of Health Service Doctors, West Bengal, have strongly condemned this deliberate transfer.

According to some doctors, the five committee members responsible for conducting transparent elections by the High Court have come down to fight the elections using the Biswa Bangla logo and Ashoka Stambha after declaring themselves pro-government.

When the ballots started reaching doctors, there were threats to submit blank ballots, like last time. Attempts were made to collect blank ballots by threats of transfer and withholding of promotions in medical colleges. There were widespread complaints that PGT doctors were threatened with failing the examination if they did not submit blank ballots.

After that, pro-government supporters tried to put thousands of fake ballots in bags during the election process. The doctors kept guarding the ballot box day and night to prevent the conspiracy of the ruling group from casting ballots.

Multiple, multi-coloured envelopes and countless fake ballots were identified as counting began. First, a bunch of printed ballots were inserted into the drop box. Then fake voting in various coloured ballots created chaos in the polling centres; there is extreme tension in the medical council elections.

Even at the time of counting, unnecessary delays, widespread irregularities and negligence have come to the attention of the doctors. At the polling place, the protesting doctors received threats. The state doctors say that this transfer notice is on that path.

During the counting of votes by the Joint Platform of Doctors panel, complaints were raised that their candidate Arjun Dasgupta's name was not on the ballots. Dasgupta filed a writ petition against this incident and corruption in the High Court.

It should be noted that the previous vote in 2018 was also full of final farce. The West Bengal Medical Council cancelled the farcical election, and on the order of the High Court, the new election process is going on this year. Since the beginning of this process, it has been alleged that the pro-government candidates have indulged in similar dubious behaviour.