Chennai, May 20: A division bench of Madras High Court today disposed of a petition seeking to prohibit Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association from proceeding on indefinite strike after being informed by counsel for the association that the proposed strike from tomorrow had been called off. Disposing of a public interest litigation by all living beings and environmental protection society, a non-governmental organisation, justice P Sathasivam and justice Prabha Sri Devan posted to May 27 hearing the matter concerning the death of a youth in the government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, on May 12 allegedly due to the agitation by doctors.

Counsels for both the TNGDA and the state government informed the court that the agitation had nothing to do with the youth's death. The court had issued notice to the authorities concerned following media reports of the youth P Ilayaraja's death.
Last night, the TNGDA at an emergent meeting had decided not to go ahead with its proposed indefinite strike from May 21, in support of the agitation by striking medical and dental students against a state government move to allow opening of private medical colleges.
The students have been agitating since the last four weeks against the proposal and hike in tution fees and suspension of stipend paid to them.
The doctors had also resorted to a one-day strike on May 14 and had stopped "elective" surgeries from May 10. Bureau Report