Charge memo against doctors on strike stayed

Justice M Dhandapani before whom the plea moved by Syed Naser, a Government doctor in Salem and few other doctors came up for hearing on Friday granted the interim stay along with issuing notice to the State Government including the Health Secretary returnable by November 18.

The plea submitted that the indefinite strike was undertaken on October 25 to seek an increase in salaries among other demands pending for more than two years.

However, following assurances from the health minister, health secretary that the demands would be fulfilled, the strike was withdrawn. The Chief Minister had also issued a statement on the same lines.

But thereafter on withdrawal of the strike, the Government has embarked on penalising the doctors by transferring them without notice and started issuing charge memos for participating in the strike.

This, the petitioners claimed was against law and sought the Court to quash both the transfers and charge memo issued against them.