Srinagar, October 9: MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir have granted the government an additional five days to issue a formal order on their proposed stipend hike, after the one-month deadline previously set by the administration expired without the notification being issued.
The interns had suspended their protest on September 8 following an assurance from Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo that the long-pending demand would be resolved within 30 days, based on the recommendations of the Stipend Enhancement Committee.
Demanding an increase in their monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000, the interns had resumed their academic and clinical duties after receiving the assurance.
With the deadline ending on Friday, a delegation of interns, along with representatives of the Association of Interns and Medical Students Association (AIMSA), met Peerzada Zahoor Ahmad, Officer on Special Duty to the Health and Medical Education Minister, to seek an update on the proposal.
According to the association, the delegation was informed that the necessary administrative formalities and signatures had been completed. The officer reportedly assured them that the formal government order was expected within the next few days.
Following the latest assurance, the interns agreed to wait for another five days. However, they warned that failure to issue the order within the extended period could force them to resume their agitation.
The earlier protest included an indefinite strike and a 48-hour hunger strike, as the interns pressed for a revision of their stipend and sought implementation of the government's commitment through a formal order.
The interns said their monthly stipend has remained unchanged at Rs 12,300 for nearly seven years, despite rising living expenses and the clinical responsibilities they shoulder during their internship.
They have maintained that assurances alone cannot resolve the issue and that the government must formally approve and implement the proposed increase.
The five-day extension has temporarily postponed the possibility of renewed protests. The interns have urged the Health and Medical Education Minister to intervene and ensure that the promised order is issued without further delay.
