The state government will induct junior doctors at state and college level task forces for better running and transparency in the state-run medical colleges across the state, announced chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her meeting with the junior doctors at Nabanna Sabhaghar this evening.

She also said the state government will hold elections of the college unions by March 2025 and requested the junior doctors to withdraw their fast unto death.

Her meeting with the junior doctors lasted more than two hours. The doctors refused to take tea to express solidarity with their colleagues, who are observing fast at Esplanade.

It was decided that the state chief secretary will inform the doctors about the formation and functioning of the task forces to the junior doctors by 3 pm tomorrow. The state-level task forces will have 10 members which will be headed by chief secretary Mr Pant. There will be five representatives from the state government and five from the junior doctors, namely, two junior doctors, two senior doctors and one female doctor. The task force will hold a meeting once in a month to review the situation.

Miss Banerjee said the task force will oversee the infrastructure development of the medical colleges and at the same time keep a tab on some doctors who are allegedly not attending their duties in the state-run hospitals in the districts and are attending private nursing homes and hospitals in the city. Miss Banerjee said she has a list of more than 300 junior doctors, who during the past two months attended private nursing homes. “All the infrastructure development cannot be completed within a single day and the state government is trying to complete them at the earliest,” she said.

Miss Banerjee said, “The government wants justice to be given in Abhaya’s case at the earliest. The state government has given all the documents to the investigating agency,” she said.

Miss Banerjee said the state government is in favour of recruiting doctors at the earliest. But the matter is pending before the Supreme Court and the state government has left no stones unturned to ensure that it is included in the list of hearings.

She said that the medical examination should be absolutely transparent. “If the knowledge base of the doctors was not up-to-the-mark then they will not be able to treat the patients properly,” she said, adding, she had agreed with Dr Kinjal Nanda that threat culture should end immediately.

Dr Debashis Halder, Dr Kinjal Nanda, Dr Priyabrata Singha, Dr Saptadipa Chakraborty spoke on behalf of the junior doctors along with some others. State home secretary, director general of police, principals of different medical colleges attended the meeting.

The junior doctors said they want a transparent system to ensure that their junior doctors work in a good environment. They maintained that the process of selection and not election has given birth to all corruption and muscle-flexing.

Miss Banerjee said she had always felt that the junior doctors kept a tab on their health. “I have full faith in you and request you to join duties and I ensure that all the promises given by us will be kept,” she maintained.