Doctors avoided meeting by ‘wasting time’: Minister

Kolkata: Bengal Minister of State for Health, Chandrima Bhattacharjee, on Sunday, narrated the sequence of events that unfolded on Saturday which contributed to the dissolution of the meeting between Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee and the junior doctors at the former’s Kalighat residence for resolving the impasse.

According to the minister, the CM was waiting at her residence from 6 pm to sit for talks with the junior medics. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Bhattacharjee were present along with Banerjee.

“The Chief Minister had convened the meeting at her residence, inviting a 15-member delegation. However, they informed us that 35-40 members will come. She made the necessary arrangements to accommodate all of them. We waited for them. But even after coming here, they refused to sit for discussion,” she added.

The doctors, sticking to their demand of live streaming or videography, were discussing among themselves out in the rain.

“The Chief Minister came out and explained to them the legal issue for the conduct of videography. She assured them that every minute of the meeting will be recorded instead. She urged them with folded hands to come inside and have a cup of tea even if they don’t want any discussions. But they did not pay heed to her request,” she maintained.

At 9 pm, all the senior government officials and Bhattacharjee decided to leave amidst the inclement weather.

“When we were leaving, they told us they want to sit for talks. The chief secretary told them that it was past nine and it was raining. He told them to return and assured we will sit for meeting another day. But they insisted on discussions at that time. A narrative is being circulated that the government will have to sit for talks whenever they want. And when this is not happening, they are blaming the state government. If there is any further appeal for talks from their end, we will see to it,” she added.

The junior doctors alleged on Saturday night that while they were willing to engage in talks, however, the state showed no interest in scheduling a meeting.

“I have told them that 3 hours have passed and we are leaving. The Chief Minister visited the dharna site at Swasthya Bhavan on Saturday afternoon and when the doctors wrote to hold talks she responded immediately. But they did not attend the meeting simply by wasting time,” she claimed, addressing the medics as her “children”.