The majority of the agitating junior doctors who had come to Nabanna on Thursday to attend a meeting with chief minister Mamata Banerjee were ready to hold the talks but some people who were “pulling the strings from behind” did not allow it, claimed senior state government officials.

“Many of the 34 junior doctors were ready to enter the meeting venue where the chief minister was waiting for them. But the meeting did not take place only because some people were pulling the strings from behind,” a senior government official said.

Top government officials felt that if the junior doctors could be disassociated from those who were holding them back from attending the meeting, the stalemate could end.

“I spoke to them for a long period. They were bright and intelligent youths. They told me that they also wanted to get back to work, but suddenly they decided not to attend the meeting until live telecast was allowed,” said the official.

Asked whether the government would try to find out the people who were preventing the doctors from holding the meeting with the government, the official said police would try to identify them.

“Once they are identified, it would be easy to disassociate them from the junior doctors. I have told them that they should listen to us first. If we fail to satisfy them, they are free to continue their agitation. They liked the idea,” said the official.

The bureaucrat also said the senior officials had informed the junior doctors that the government had short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to improve the infrastructure and security arrangements in medical colleges.

The senior officials also told the agitating junior doctors that the plans could easily be modified if they gave their suggestions. But for that, they have to attend a meeting with the government.

The 34-day-long cease-work by the junior doctors was expected to end on Thursday as the agitating doctors had reached Nabanna to hold a meeting with Mamata in response to a mail sent to them by chief secretary Manoj Pant.

However, the delegation of the junior doctors did not enter the meeting hall since the government did not agree to allow the live telecast of the discussions saying the matter was sub-judice.

Although no fresh initiative was taken by the government on Friday to hold a meeting with the junior doctors, sources said the administration did not close the channel of discussion.

“The administration is giving some time to the junior doctors before sending a fresh invitation.... It is expected that they would reconsider their demand for the live telecast of the meeting. We have accepted all other demands sent to us,” said another official.

The chief secretary held a video conference with district magistrates and chief medical officers (health) in the districts.

“The district magistrates have been asked to visit the medical colleges under their jurisdiction and find out the areas that need to be upgraded or developed to give better facilities to the doctors,” said a source.

A section of the officials said the instruction showed that the government wanted to improve the work conditions in the medical colleges as directed by the Supreme Court.