Gehlot orders officials to lift RESMA, release jailed docs

Jaipur, Dec 31 (PTI) In an effort to end the 11-day-old strike by government doctors, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tonight ordered officials to lift Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) and release all the jailed medicos. Gehlot, charing a high-level review meeting, also decided to set up a committee of five ministers to review the cases lodged against the agitating doctors under RESMA. The committee comprises of Medical and Health minister Duru Miyan, Energy Minister Jitendra Singh, Industry Minister Rajendra Pareek and MoS (medical) Rajkumar Sharma and MoS (Home) Virendra Beniwal. The panel will also take view on the action of suspension and termination taken against the doctors by the government during the strike, an official said. The chief minister expressed satisfaction that several agitating doctors have resumed duty in parts of the state so the RESMA was lifted on the eve of the New Year, he said. "We will now take a decision over the strike after a discussion with government ministers tonight," a representative of the striking medicos said. The in-service government doctors went on strike on December 21, demanding pay hike and time bound promotions. The Rajasthan government later took action against them under the stringent RESMA.