Srinagar, Aug 31: Protesting MBBS interns on Monday rejected Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo’s assurance that their demand for a stipend hike was under consideration, alleging that similar assurances had been given to them earlier without any concrete decision.
The interns said the minister’s latest statement was similar to responses they had received during previous meetings and accused the government of attempting to delay the matter.
“The minister is trying to mislead us. When we met her several times, she came up with the same statement,” the protesting interns said.
They claimed that assurances regarding the revision of their stipend had also been given after the present government assumed office, but alleged that no substantive action followed.
The interns questioned the appeal by the Health Minister that they should not proceed with a strike while their proposal remains under examination by the Finance Department.
They said they were unwilling to withdraw their agitation solely on the basis of another assurance and called for a concrete decision on the stipend increase.
“Don’t play politics with us,” the protesting interns said.
The interns maintained that they had repeatedly raised the issue with the authorities and that the demand for a revised stipend had remained unresolved despite several representations and meetings.
They said sending the proposal to the Finance Department for assessment of its financial implications did not amount to an actual increase in their stipend.
“Till our stipend is not raised, we won’t call off our strike,” the protesting interns said.
Their reaction came shortly after Sakina Itoo said the demand for a stipend hike was genuine and confirmed that the proposal had been sent to the Finance Department for examination of its financial implications.
MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir are demanding an increase in the monthly stipend to ₹30,000 and have been holding protests at medical institutions across the Union Territory.
