Srinagar: In a major development for medical and dental graduates undergoing compulsory internship in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has approved the enhancement of their monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000, with the Health and Medical Education Department directed to issue the necessary orders immediately.
Official sources said that the Chief Minister has cleared the file concerning the long-awaited revision, paving the way for a substantial increase in the monthly remuneration paid to MBBS and BDS interns.
They said that the Chief Minister has approved the file for enhancement of the monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000. The Health and Medical Education Department has been directed to issue the necessary orders immediately.
Sources said the formal order was expected to be issued on Tuesday itself, but the holiday prevented its issuance. The department is now to issue the necessary notification on Wednesday, October 21.
The decision will increase the monthly stipend by Rs 12,700, representing a rise of approximately 103.25 per cent over the existing amount.
On an annual basis, an intern receiving the revised stipend for 12 months would get Rs 3 lakh against the earlier Rs 1,47,600, an increase of Rs 1,52,400.
The decision comes against the backdrop of sustained protests by MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir, who have been demanding an increase in their monthly stipend to Rs 30,000.
The interns had launched an indefinite strike on August 31, arguing that their stipend had remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite rising living costs and demanding hospital duties.
Earlier, medical interns in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday resumed their strike over the government’s failure to fulfil its commitment to increase their monthly stipend.
The interns had gone on strike in September to press for a stipend hike. On September 8, the government had asked them to call off their agitation and give it a month to address their demands.
However, the interns said the deadline had passed without any resolution, prompting them to resume the strike on Tuesday.
“The 30-day period — it was actually they who asked us for a 30-day timeframe. Even back then, we demanded an order, and today as well, we are demanding an order. Back then, we negotiated based on trust; we thought we should trust them,” medical intern Dr Faraz Ahmad told reporters here.
He said the minutes of the meeting, attended by Health Minister Sakina Masood Itoo, Srinagar Government Medical College Principal Dr Iffat Hassan and the Deputy Director of Planning, recorded that the matter would be finalised within 30 days.
“Today is the 42nd day. Forty-two days have passed, yet the matter remains unresolved. On top of that, we faced humiliation yesterday at the OSD’s office in the Civil Secretariat. We had simply gone to ask about the status of our file,” he said.
