Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 20
MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir resumed their indefinite strike on Tuesday, even as reports emerged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had approved doubling their monthly stipend to Rs 25,000.
The interns’ association said the agitation would continue until the government issued a formal order confirming the increase. No official order had been issued by the time this report was filed.
The reported approval follows the expiry of a 30-day deadline given to interns to finalise the stipend revision. The government had recorded assurances on September 4 and 9 that their demand would be addressed within the stipulated period.
The proposed increase would raise the monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000, an increase of Rs 12,700. The interns, however, have been demanding Rs 30,000 a month, citing prolonged stagnation in their stipend and rising living costs.
The All India Medical Students Association said an approval on file could not substitute for a formal administrative order.
The association’s Jammu and Kashmir joint secretary said the students welcomed the reported decision but would await official notification before calling off the strike.
On Monday evening, interns held candlelight marches at government medical colleges and SKIMS Medical College Hospital in Bemina, carrying placards accusing the government of failing to honour its commitment.
A delegation of interns also met senior officials of the Finance and Health and Medical Education departments at the Civil Secretariat.
The meeting did not provide a clear timeline for issuing the order, an AIMSA representative said.
The renewed agitation follows an earlier nine-day strike from August 31 to September 8.
The interns had called off that protest after the Health and Medical Education Department assured them that their demands would be addressed within 30 days.
The latest strike could affect healthcare delivery at Level II and Level III hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir. The interns have warned that they may consider a hunger strike if the delay continues.
The reported approval signals movement towards resolving the dispute, but the absence of a formal notification has left the government and the protesting interns without a confirmed settlement.
