Taking a tough stand against agitating government doctors, Orissa government on Friday imposed Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against them.

The govt. has also accepted resignation of seven of their leaders. The govt. has prohibited strikes in health services with effect from today for a period of six months invoking the provisions of ESMA, 1988.

ESMA will be applicable for all the doctors working in different hospitals across the state.

The Health Department of the State government has accepted the resignation of seven doctors including that of Madhusudan Mishra, president of Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), the organization heading the agitation in the state from the last few days.

In order to make the government concede to their various demands, nearly 2000 doctors across the state had submitted their resignation papers a few days ago.

The government on the other hand has termed the doctors resignation as illegal.

The killing of RSS worker Dhanu Pradhan by un-identified extremists had triggered tension in the riot-hit Kandhamal district once again.

A mob of 2000 tribals gheraoed the Brahmanigaon police station and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

All shops and business establishments at Brahmanigaon  and villages near it remained closed.

Meanwhile the district administration has enforced prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPc in the local area as a pre-cautionary measure.

"We don't rule out escalation of violence in view of the murder," Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj said.

Orissa police have registered a case against a judge for allegedly misbehaving with a woman in a train, an official said Friday.

Jhum Mohanty a resident of Damanjodi o Koraput district had filed the complaint.

According to police sources, while she was traveling to Bhubaneswar by Hirakhanda Express Santanu Rajguru, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Nabarangpur allegedly misbehaved with her.

"We have registered a case against Rajguru under sections 509 (making insulting gestures) and 323 (causing hurt with full knowledge and intention) of the Indian Penal Code," a police officer in the Bhubaneswar Railway station said.

The Union Government has decided to send a Ministerial committee (GoM) to riot-hit Kandhamal of Orissa to take stock of the situation within a fort night.

Central Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will head the team. Other members of the team are Social Justice Minister Meira Kumar, Tribal Affairs Minister P R Kyndiah and Transport Minister T R Baalu.

The team, during its visit, would inspect the relief camps and would also discuss the situation with the state Government.

According to sources, the Ministerial team is likely to apprise the Centre of its observation before the beginning of Parliament session. The session is scheduled to begin on 10 December.