City medicos begin indefinite ceasework

Kolkata, May 24 (UNI) Intensifying the anti-reservation agitation, junior doctors started an indefinite cease work in seven medical colleges in the city today, demanding a roll back of the Government decision to increase the OBC quota in institutions of higher education.

Medicos of five state-run Medical colleges and two Dental Colleges also staged sit-in demonstration in front of the institutions as part of their agitational programme.

The ceasework was continuing in all departments, except the emergency sections.

As a result, patients had a harrowing time in getting treatment particularly in the Out Patients Department with only a handful of senior doctors struggling to cope with the heavy rush.

The medicos had already garnered support from the students of elite institutes like Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Indian Institute of Statistical Institute, Jadavpur University, BE College Shibpur and Presidency College.

However, the relay hunger strike that continued for about a week in the National Medical College had been withdrawn.

Meanwhile, about 300 students of the Guru Nanak Dental Medical College today blocked the Barrackpore Trunk Road at Panihati in North 24 Parganas near here to protest the increase in OBC reservation.

Students squatted on the road and raised slogans during the agitation which continued for an hour. It was removed following the intervention of the police. Traffic was stalled on the busy road linking the city to the northern district.

Later, student leaders told newsmen that this was a token protest as part of their movement against the Centre's reservation policy and soon they would join the movement with the city medical college students.

UNI KDG-XC PL VD KP1514