RESMA lifted, docs' strike may end soon

JAIPUR: The state government late on Saturday lifted the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA), and issued orders for release of all jailed doctors, paving way for ending the 11-day strike of in-service doctors. The doctors, who were holding a late night meeting, said a final call would be taken soon.
"We have held talks with the state government and are aware of what they have to offer.We will take a call very soon and inform all,'' said Dr J D Maheswari, president, All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association.
The deadlock over a formal dialogue between the two sides ended on Saturday evening. The state government, which initiated the move, agreed to lift the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) and release the 70 arrested doctors unconditionally. An announcement in this regard was made after the chief minister presided over a high-level review meeting, which was attended by senior bureaucrats along with ministers including A A Khan, Virendra Beniwal and Dr Rajkumar Sharma. More than 500 doctors were arrested during the strike. Most of them are already out on bail.
The jailed doctors are being released. A four-member committee of ministers has been formed, which will look into the criminal cases filed against the agitating doctors under RESMA along with the suspensions and dismissals of doctors during this period. We have assured the doctors that no injustice will be done to them,'' said minister Jitendra Singh, at whose residence the talks were held. Dr Karan Singh, vice-chairman of the 20-Point Programme, was also present. After meeting the minister, the doctors continued with their internal meeting at his residence.
On Thursday, a delegation of doctors had met Jitendra Singh and demanded that the state government lift the RESMA and look into their demands. The energy minister is part of the sub-ministerial committee, which is looking into the demands of the doctors and includes health minister A A Khan and industry minister Rajendra Pareek. The new committee announced on Saturday includes these three and minister of state for home Virendra Beniwal.
The 6,500 in-service doctors in the state went on an indefinite strike to address their long-pending demands for a better pay and time-bound promotions among other things. They were supported by 1,100 resident doctors, who also went on a strike along with the Rajasthan Medical College Teachers Association and even a few private doctors. The strike paralyzed the health, leaving more than 70 dead in the last 11 days.
The doctors had earlier gone on a mass leave on June 30, following which the sub-ministerial committee was formed to look into the doctors' demand of salaries at par given by centre and time-bound promotions. The committee was to resolve the issues within three months but with no headway in this regard, in-service doctors in the state went on a mass leave from December 21.