Kolkata, Aug 8 (IANS): Mere verbal assurances would not work and the agitation against the multi-crore teacher recruitment scam in West bengal will continue till the deserving candidates receive appointment letters, Education Minister Bratya Basu was told on Monday.

"The education minister has given us an assurance on this count. We are hopeful that the state government will fulfil its promises. However, our agitation on the open streets has crossed 500 days. Our peaceful agitation will continue till the time each of the candidates who were deprived of jobs despite qualifying in the merit list is provided the appointment letter. The number of such candidates will be around 600," the leader of the agitators' delegation, S. Shahidullah, said after the meeting.

During the meeting, Bratya Basu said that the state government has assured the agitators that their demand will be "sympathetically viewed".

"However, accommodating so many candidates would require creation of additional posts. That would need clearance from the state finance department and then the state cabinet. The entire process would consume some time," he said.

This is the second such meeting on this issue.

The first initiative on holding talks with the agitators was undertaken by Trinamool Congress national general secretary and party MP, Abhishek Banerjee on July 29.

The state education minister had also attended that meeting. In that meeting too, the delegates had sent a clear message that talks might continue but the agitation will be withdrawn only after the appointment matter for the candidates are settled.