RG Kar: Mamata Banerjee, protesting junior doctors hold talks to end impasse

The meeting is currently underway with 31 representatives of the agitating junior doctors, local media reports said. The protesting doctors, however, made it clear that they won't speak to the media right after the talks but will return to Swasthya Bhawan and hold general body meeting before taking a final call regarding the ceasework.

The state government allowed two stenographers from the agitating doctors' side.

Besides the CM, junior Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant also present at the meeting.

The state government had earlier described this as a "fifth and final invitation for talks". Unlike the last two times, the protesting junior doctors have made it past the doorway and talks are underway for more than an hour now.

Both parties will sign the minutes of the meeting, as per the letter from the state government.

A crowd of people have gathered outside the CM's house expecting a positive outcome from the meeting.

The meeting is taking place just a day before the Supreme Court will hear the case related to the rape and murder of the doctor which has triggered a tsunami of protests in Bengal and across the country. Protests are also organised across the world by the Bengali diaspora.

"We are going for the meeting with our five-point demands," one of the protesting doctors told the media.

"We are having our own stenographers to ensure transparency is maintained during the meeting," another protesting doctor said.

In a letter from chief secretary Manoj Pant, it was cleared to the doctors that their demand for live-streaming or video recording won't be allowed in the meeting citing that the matter is in the court.

"We trust that good sense will prevail, and as mutually agreed and as per your statement to the media day before- there will be no live-streaming or videography of the meeting, given that the matter is sub judice in the highest court of the country. Instead, the minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both parties," said Pant in the letter.

The junior doctors' five point demand includes removal of city police commissioner Vineet Goyal and Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam besides their safety, punishment of the guilty and the culture of threat in the healthcare system.

What happened last week?

On Thursday, about 30-35 junior doctors reached the state government headquarters Nabanna but didn't attend the meeting as their demand for live-streaming of the discussion was turned down by the Chief Minister.

After Mamata reached the doctors' dharna site on Saturday afternoon, the protesters agreed to a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence but the question of live-streaming played spoilsport initially.

After repeated requests from the Chief Minister and a promise of meeting minutes, the junior doctors agreed for a discussion but junior Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and state chief secretary Manoj Pant said it was time over for the day.