Angry over the dismissal of three of their colleagues, who had allegedly cut off the palms of five tribals' nearly 2500 Government doctors in Orissa resigned en masse to protest the Government decision.

"The doctors have sent the mass resignation letters to the state health secretary, Anu Garg," Madhusudan Mishra, president of the Orissa Medical Service Association (OMSA), told.

OMSA has total of 3000 members. Remaining doctors would tender their resignation in a day or two he said.

The controversy of cutting palms erupted while these three doctors were performing autopsies on five tribals killed in police firing in kalinganagar industrial hub in Jajpur district, 120 Kms from Bhubaneswar.

The tribals were protesting construction of wall by Tata steel in kalinganagar.  14 were killed during the police firing Jan 2, 2006.

"If the government does not withdraw the dismissal orders, we will presume that the government has accepted our resignation and will not join work from Nov 9," Mishra added.