Notice to govt on plea to hold TNMC polls online

CHENNAI: A litigant has approached the Madras High Court to conduct the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) election online under the supervision of a retired HC judge. The plea by Madurai-based government doctor S Syed Tahir Hussain has been admitted for hearing by Justice R Suresh Kumar.

The petitioner sought a direction to stay a percept gazette notification on October 19 for holding the election using ballot papers.

“There are about 1.5 lakh members associated with TNMC. However, only 50 per cent of them are voting. For the past several decades, a few government doctors with political affiliation alone were coming to power and indulging in corruption.

In the Directorate of Medical Education, the in-service doctors ranking from the Associate Professors, HOD, and Dean all are influenced and votes forcibly bought,” the petitioner said.

Pointing out that vote by ballot paper was clearly misused, the plea said: “The high-handed candidates send their messengers and collect envelopes with ballot papers from the electors.”

Hussain also pointed out that Indian Medical Council and Indian Anesthesiologist Council are conducting elections online.

Recording the submissions, the court ordered notice to the State and National Medical Council (NMC) to file responses in two weeks.