Not happy with outcome of meeting with Bengal govt, ‘cease work’ to continue: Agitating doctors

PTI, Sep 19, 2024, 8:17 AM IST

Kolkata: The second round of talks between agitating junior doctors and the West Bengal government on Wednesday remained “inconclusive” as the medics expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the meeting and announced that they would continue their agitation and ‘cease work’.

The agitating doctors stated that although the government agreed with them on many points and gave them “verbal assurances”, they were not given the minutes of the meeting.

“We discussed many issues, but we were not provided with the minutes of the meeting. The chief secretary has given us verbal assurances but did not provide us with written documentation. Our agitation and ‘cease work’ will continue. We are not happy with the outcome of the meeting,” said one of the agitating doctors after coming out of the meeting at Nabanna.

The meeting between Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and a delegation of 30 junior doctors started at the state secretariat, Nabanna, around 7.30 pm, an hour after the scheduled time fixed by the state, and lasted for over two hours, sources said.

The protesting medics were again accompanied by stenographers to record the minutes of the meeting. On Monday, during the meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence, the agitators were accompanied by stenographers as well.

The West Bengal government on Wednesday invited the junior doctors agitating over the RG Kar rape-murder incident for a meeting at the state secretariat at 6.30 pm, responding to their request for a fresh round of talks.

This was the second round of talks between the medics and the state government in 48 hours.