Kolkata Gets A New Police Commissioner, Mamata Banerjee government replaces Vineet Goyal with Manoj Verma; Changes done in state Health Dept too

West Bengal Government on Tuesday appointed IPS Manoj Kumar Verma as the new Police Commissioner of Kolkata Police, replacing IPS Vineet Goyal, one who has been in the eye of protest by the junior doctors after the brutal rape and murder of then 31 year old RG Kar medical student. Manoj Kumar Verma is currently the ADG Law and Order in the state, a 1998 batch IPS officer. This comes hours after the meeting between the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the junior doctors on Monday evening where demand for Goyal’s removal was pressed forth by the doctors. The Chief Minister, during the press conference, after the meeting had confirmed the changes in Kolkata Police would be done by Tuesday 4pm, in an effort to the break the deadlock of cease work by the protesting junior doctors.

“The CP had informed the junior doctors during their meeting at Lal Bazaar about his desire to resign. We have spoken to him. We will change the Kolkata Police Commissioner, as is being demanded by the junior doctors. They have also demanded removal of the DC North and that too has been accepted”, Mamata Banerjee had said in the midnight press conference after the meeting. IPS Abhishek Gupta, DC North has been moved out of the office and given the spot of CO, EFR 2nd Battalion. He is being replaced by Dipak Sarkar.

Likewise changes have also been brought in the state health department. The junior doctors had demanded removal of the Principal Secretary health along with Director of Medical Education (DMR) and Director of Health Services (DHS). As was assured to the junior doctors on Monday, the current DHS Debashis Halder has been removed from the office and sent to OSD, Medical Education, Swastya Bhawan and Dr Swapan Soren who is currently Jt DHS, IBTM and IH has been made the new DHS in charge. Similarly Dr Suparna Dutta has been made the new OSD, Medical Education, while the post of Director Medical Education has been left vacant for now.

As the matter came up before the Supreme Court on Tuesday for the fourth time, the bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud observed that the meeting between the junior doctors and the state has happened and both sides have agreed on mutually agreeable points. The minutes of the meeting from Monday’s meeting was submitted before the court and included in records. While the Supreme Court was apprised by the state about the modalities adopted to enhance the security of doctors across the state, the Apex Court left it to Junior doctors to decide on their cease work. The had informed the court about their decision which is impending their general body meeting.