The first round of talks between the West Bengal government and the agitating junior doctors at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence to address the RG Kar impasse have ended. After four unsuccessful bids to initiate a dialogue to resolve the deadlock, a delegation of agitating junior doctors arrived at her residence for the crucial talks on Monday evening.

Escorted by a pilot police vehicle, around 30 medics arrived at Banerjee’s residence at 6.20 pm. The meeting, which was originally scheduled at 5 pm, began around 7 pm and has concluded. No conclusion has been reached or announced so far as minutes of the meeting are being compiled.

Previous attempts to resolve the issue got stuck due to the state government’s rejection of the doctors’ demand for live-streaming and video recordings of the meeting. The agitating medics later agreed to a compromise, now only asking to record the minutes of the meeting and receive a signed copy. The state government accepted this condition, with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant saying both parties will sign the minutes of the meeting and share copies for clarity. The state government also allowed the two stenographers, accompanying the agitating doctors, inside the venue to record the minutes of the meeting.