Kolkata: In a significant reshuffle of Kolkata’s police and health departments, Vineet Goel has been removed as the Police Commissioner following widespread protests by doctors. The decision was announced after a late-night meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the agitating doctors. The protests were sparked by the recent rape and murder case that shook the city, with demands for accountability from the medical community.
The Bengal government issued an official notification on Tuesday evening, appointing senior IPS officer Manoj Kumar Verma as the new Police Commissioner. Verma, a 1998 batch IPS officer, was previously serving as the Additional Director General (ADG) and Inspector General (IG) of Law and Order in the state. Vineet Goel, a 1994 batch officer, has been transferred to the role of ADG and IG of the Special Task Force (STF) within the West Bengal Police.
The reshuffle also affected other key police positions. Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police (North) Abhishek Gupta has been replaced by Deepak Sarkar, who was previously with the Siliguri Police. Gupta has been reassigned as Commanding Officer of the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) 2nd Battalion.
Health Department Sees Significant Changes
In parallel to the police department reshuffle, the West Bengal government has also made sweeping changes in the health sector. Both the Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr Kaustav Nayak and the Director of Health Services (DHS) Dr Debasish Haldar were removed from their positions.
The state’s health department announced that Dr Swapan Soren will now serve as the Director in-charge of Health Services, while Dr Suparna Dutta has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Medical Education. Dr Haldar has been moved to Swasthya Bhawan as OSD of Public Health, and Dr Nayak will now head the Institute of Health and Family Welfare.
Protests Spark Changes in Government
These changes come in response to the growing unrest among resident doctors, who have been protesting against the handling of the recent high-profile crime case. Their demands for action led to this significant reshuffling of key positions, both in law enforcement and health services. The decisions made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are seen as an attempt to address the concerns raised by the protesting doctors and restore public confidence in the administration.
As the new Kolkata Police Commissioner, Manoj Kumar Verma faces the challenging task of maintaining law and order in a city still reeling from the tragic incident, while also ensuring that justice is served. Meanwhile, the changes in the health department aim to restore efficiency and transparency in the system, particularly in light of the recent protests.
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