Jat, non-Jat tussle to fore as Birender writes to CM

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16

After a Jat versus non-Jat face-off that sparked violence during the Jat agitation earlier this year, caste politics seems to be casting a shadow on the enhancement of the doctors’ retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

While the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government, voted on a non-Jat card, has stopped short of making a formal announcement on the matter after clearing the proposal, Union Minister Birender Singh, BJP’s most prominent Jat face, has shot off a letter to the Chief Minister for an immediate implementation of the decision.

At the heart of the “delay”, sources maintain, is the Director General, Health Services, Dr Kamla Singh, who is due to retire later this month, on October 31. This Jat-non-Jat tussle finds reflecting in the letter written by the union minister.

“The CM has called a meeting on October 19 to discuss the retirement age issue,” said Health Minister Anil Vij, confirming that the proposal had once been cleared by the various departments, including the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, appreciating the initiative to enhance retirement age taken by the government under Khattar’s leadership given the shortfall of doctors in the state, Birender has maintained, in no uncertain terms, that the delay in implementation is being viewed suspiciously by members of a certain community.

Though the letter does not mention the community, it states the delay is being seen as an attempt of vested interests within the government to prevent the present incumbent’s continuation as the DGHS. Dr Kamla Singh is a Jat and assumed office in April. While the minister’s letter mentions that it may lead to unrest among the doctors pressing for early implementation of the decision, which has been cleared by the respective departments, he has concluded his communication to Khattar by stating that immediate implementation will send out a positive message of inclusion without caste biases.

“It seems near certain that the implementation is being delayed to ensure that the present DGHS retires, since the decision is only awaiting a cabinet nod after getting all clearances, including that of the the CM,” said Dr Rajesh Sheokand, general secretary, HCMS.

The proposal to enhance the retirement age of doctors from 60 to 62 years was first moved by Health Minister Anil Vij earlier this year keeping in view the shortage of doctors in the government sector. However, the proposal was further altered to enhance the age from 62 to 65 years after the Centre gave its nod for the same.

In September, doctors threatened to go on strike over the failure of the government in implementing this decision and accepting their other demands. However, a compromise was reached between the doctors and the government when Vij promised early implementation, setting a deadline of September 30.