Srinagar, Sep 4: The indefinite strike by MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir entered its fifth day on Friday, with growing political support for their demand to increase the monthly stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹30,000.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is scheduled to meet a five-member delegation of protesting interns on Friday afternoon to discuss the issue. The delegation includes representatives from GMC Srinagar, GMC Anantnag, GMC Jammu and SKIMS.
The interns began their indefinite strike on August 31, withdrawing from routine duties at government medical colleges and hospitals across J&K. They have argued that the stipend has remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite inflation, long working hours and the responsibilities associated with their internship.
The protesters have also highlighted differences between the stipend paid in J&K and that offered to medical interns in several other States and Union Territories.
They have referred to a 2023 committee recommendation proposing an increase in the J&K stipend to ₹25,000, saying the recommendation has not been implemented despite subsequent discussions in the Legislative Assembly.
The issue has meanwhile received support from political parties across the spectrum.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti visited protesting interns at GMC Srinagar on September 1 and backed their demand for a ₹30,000 stipend. PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti later joined interns during an overnight vigil at SKIMS Bemina and urged Omar Abdullah to intervene personally.
The Congress has also taken up the matter. Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra wrote to the Chief Minister seeking immediate consideration of the demand. A Congress delegation led by former minister Yogesh Sawhney later met protesting interns in Jammu and submitted the party's letter to Omar Abdullah.
The BJP's J&K unit has also supported the interns' demand and urged the Chief Minister and Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene. BJP Health and Medical Cell convener Puneet Mahajan called for immediate dialogue and a time-bound decision while stressing that essential healthcare services should not be disrupted.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari has also described the demand as genuine and justified, calling for a fair stipend comparable to that provided to interns elsewhere in the country.
National Conference MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah met protesting interns at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, during the agitation and attempted to facilitate dialogue with the authorities. However, the protesters insisted that any negotiations should include representatives from medical colleges across J&K.
Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo has said the interns' demand is justified and that the matter is already under consideration. She said the proposal had been forwarded to the Finance Department for assessment of its financial implications.
Itoo has also appealed to the interns to withdraw the strike, citing its impact on patient care.
The protesting interns, however, have said they are seeking a concrete decision rather than assurances that the matter is under process. They have maintained that the agitation will continue until their demand for a stipend hike is formally addressed.
The Chief Minister's meeting with the five-member delegation could provide a key opportunity for both sides to resolve the dispute. The outcome of the talks is expected to determine whether the interns suspend their five-day-old strike or continue their agitation across government medical institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.
