Chief secretary Manoj Pant requested the agitating junior doctors to resume work before 5 pm tomorrow, following the Supreme Court directive.

The junior doctors are on strike demanding justice and stringent punishment of the persons involved in the rape and murder of a doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on 9 August.

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Mr Pant said the state government has allocated Rs 100 crore to improve infrastructure in state-run hospitals. CCTVs will be installed and infrastructure will be upgraded which included setting up of rest rooms for the doctors, toilets among others. Asked what the state government would do if the junior doctors do not resume duties, Mr Pant said he was hopeful and confident that the junior doctors would resume duties from tomorrow.

Mr Rajiv Kumar, director general of police, said every possible step has been taken to provide safety and security to the junior doctors working in different state-run hospitals. The state government will instal more lights in the hospital campus and it has already started recruiting ex-servicemen to strengthen security. It may be mentioned that CISF personnel have been deployed to augment security at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The state government is very hopeful about the junior doctors joining the duty from tomorrow. No punitive action will be taken. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee while addressing the media, said that she was ready to meet the junior doctors. She said the state government has accepted all the demands of the junior doctors so far. She expressed solidarity with the junior doctors said stringent action will take against the person involved in the alleged rape and murder of the doctor on 9 August.