Doctors' mass resignation not legally valid: West Bengal government rejects move

The West Bengal government, on October 12 rejected the mass resignation put forth by agitating doctors from state-run hospitals. 

The government stated that the resignation is not legally valid, and must be submitted individually according to the service rules.

Senior doctors from state-run medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal have resigned en masse, speaking a wave of support from doctors at the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital and Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (PGMER).

Aiming to pressurise the state government, doctors from these hospitals are also set to tender their resignations.

In response, Chief Advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, clarified that the government will not accept the mass resignations.

"Resignations are an individual matter between the employee and employer according to the rule book. These collective letters have no legal value," Bandyopadhyay said, dismissing the resignations as a "misconception."

"We have received scattered letter from different government hospitals," he added.

The government maintains that the mass resignations are not legally valid as they were not submitted on an individual basis, further intensifying the standoff.