SRINAGAR: MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir continued their 48-hour hunger strike on Tuesday, pressing the government to raise their monthly stipend and issue a formal order implementing the enhancement.
The interns, who have been protesting for more than a week, are seeking an increase in the stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000. They have maintained that the agitation will not be called off until a written government order is issued.
The protest involves interns from 10 Government Medical Colleges and two dental colleges across the Union Territory.
The protesting interns have also pointed to the delay in implementing an earlier government recommendation. Government Order No. 538-JK(HME), issued in June 2023, had proposed raising the stipend from the 2019 rate of Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000.
The latest escalation followed a meeting between representatives of the interns and the Health Minister. The interns said assurances given during the meeting were not enough and reiterated their demand for a formal government order.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the matter should have been resolved earlier and acknowledged that the ongoing protest was affecting the interns’ work and training.
The Health Minister has also urged the interns to return to duty, stressing that patient care should not be affected by the agitation.
The interns, however, continued their hunger strike on Tuesday and reiterated that they would seek a written government decision on the stipend enhancement before ending the protest.
