Rattled by the nationwide protest demanding justice for the horrific incident of rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor at her workplace, chest medicine department of R G Kar Medical College Hospital, the state government has decided to recruit retired army and police personnel to supervise security arrangements in important state-run medical colleges and hospitals, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals across districts.

Pulling up the state government for security lapses at the R G Kar Medical College Hospital, epicenter of the global protest against the incident, the Supreme Court on Tuesday has directed Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) to look after and ensure entire security affairs at the premier hospital. With this directive Kolkata Police (KP) would no longer be able to monitor security and safety arrangements there in the hospital, a retired IPS officer felt.

Today, Manoj Verma, additional director general of police (ADG), in-charge of law and order (L&O), issued a directive to all superintendents of police (SPs) in districts and police districts under the state police, to hire retired police personnel like inspectors, deputy superintendents of police (DSP), additional superintendents of police (ASP), ex-personnel from the three services in the rank of naib, subedar, captain, major or equivalent as security officer in important government healthcare facilities in districts to supervise security arrangements.

Mr Verma has asked SPs to send a list of the willing retired personnel, including their details like name, address, date of birth, date of retirement and designation during retirement to the state secretariat Nabanna by 24 August through mail at adglowwb@gmail.com.

Physical fitness of these retired men will also be verified before selection and their remuneration will also be decided as per the guidelines of the state finance department.

Many doctors and nurses, agitating against the R G Kar Medical College Hospital incident said, “No major breakthrough has been made so far by the CBI besides the arrest of only one civic volunteer Sanjay Roy by Kolkata Police. The apex court has directed CISF to supervise security arrangements at R G Kar Hospital but how long will it go on? We want arrests of all culprits involved in the incident and demand exemplary punishments.”