N Bengal lobby kingpin’s daughter loses asst prof post, health dept to recover overdrawn pay

Kolkata: The health department has demoted an assistant professor of Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) to the level of a medical officer. An order on Wednesday said the health department will also recover the overdrawn amount from Riyal Das due as an assistant professor (psychiatric epidemiology) as she is entitled to pay and allowance admissible to a medical officer.Riyal’s recruitment as an assistant professor around six years ago was itself mired in controversy. Das is the daughter of orthopaedic surgeon S P Das, whose name cropped up several times during the RG Kar protest, with the larger section of the medical community naming him as the mastermind of the North Bengal lobby.Sources said Das was powerful during the previous govt where he and his North Bengal lobby influenced recruitment, posting, and transfer of doctors working in the govt sector.

This lobby was also accused of running a health syndicate and promoting threat culture on medical college campuses.“It seems that this particular recruitment was made bypassing all National Medical Commission norms. In fact, it seems that the post itself was created in order to accommodate her,” said a source in the health department.Riyal has an MBBS degree from a private medical college in Bihar and was initially recruited as a medical officer.

The IOP website mentions her qualification as MBBS and Master of Science (health sciences), and she has been the head of the department and assistant professor at the department of psychiatric epidemiology, IOPS’s Centre of Excellence, since Dec 2020. Incidentally, she is the sole faculty member in the department.Riyal has refuted charges of any illegality in her recruitment or her father’s influence in her recruitment.

She said she holds an MS in global health from a university in the US, along with fellowship in different fields. “I am trying to figure out why this order on change of cadre came after I have worked as an assistant professor for six years. This is a research-based position and I was recruited though all due procedure,” she told TOI.“There are multiple questions on this issue. If the recruitment itself is under question, why not put her under suspension pending an inquiry into the legalities of the recruitment?” said general surgery professor Manas Gumta, former general secretary, Association of Health Service Doctors.