Promising renovation work and changes of representation in patient welfare committees, Banerjee said that probes ‘cannot be done overnight’ and appealed to junior doctors to ‘trust’ her.
Two days after talks between her and protesting doctors broke down, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee landed up at the dharna site of junior doctors. She said that if the agitators could trust her, she would be ready to consider their demands, but that she needs time.
Banerjee added that the administrative and police officials whose resignations the junior doctors have demanded are not her “friends” — she needs “time to probe” them.
She claimed this would be her last attempt to appeal to junior doctors.
On Thursday, scheduled talks between the state government and junior doctors broke down over the issue of livestreaming at Nabanna. While the CM waited inside Nabanna, junior doctors stayed outside after the state government denied their demand for a live telecast of the meeting.
At the dharna, junior doctors welcomed her and said they are open to discussions with the government “anywhere”, but stated that they would stick to their five-point demands.
At around 1 pm on Saturday, she and Rajeev Kumar, director-general of West Bengal police, had reached. “I have personally come here to you. My post is not a big thing. People’s posts are big. I could not sleep last night. I felt the pain. You were sitting on dharna while it was raining last night… I too spent sleepless nights because I am your guardian,” said the Chief Minister, holding a microphone.
“If you return to work. I promise I will study your demands and talk to the officers. I will look into your demands with sensitivity. If you trust me, give me some time. I will take action against anyone guilty,” she said.
“You all are brothers and sisters. Please return to work. We have started work for the development of infrastructure in hospitals,” Banerjee added.
“I will make principals chairmen in all Rogi Kalyan Samitis (patient welfare committees) in all hospitals of the state,” she said. Earlier, political personalities, MLAs, and MPs would hold these posts. “In the Samitis, all including students will have proper representation,” the Chief Minister said.
“As a CM, elder sister, and one among your agitation, I will try to solve your problems. I cannot force you. I can only appeal to you. I went on hunger strike for 26 days when the CPIM was in power. No one came to me then. I will not take any action against you. We are not the Uttar Pradesh police. We need you back to work. Think and decide,” she said.
“We need to probe anyone’s role before we can take action. It cannot be done overnight… If I can come to your dharna manch, trust me and give me some time. No complaint of corruption has come to me. If there is a complaint, we will investigate and give punishment,” Banerjee reiterated, adding: “I promise there will be no injustice,” before leaving the site.
Later, speaking to mediapersons, junior doctor Aniket Mahato said, “The CM is the guardian of the state — we welcome her visiting the Dharna Manch. We have been on the streets for 35 days. It would have been better to hold discussions earlier. We are ready to talk anytime and anywhere. But there will be no compromise with our five-point demands. We want to return to work.”
