SRINAGAR — The one-month deadline set by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to finalise the proposed stipend hike for MBBS and BDS interns expires on Friday, but the formal order remains awaited, prompting the interns to give the administration five additional days before deciding their next course of action.
The interns had suspended their agitation on September 8 after Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo assured their representatives that the long-pending issue would be finalised within 30 days on the basis of recommendations made by the Stipend Enhancement Committee.
Seeking an increase in their monthly stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹30,000, the interns resumed their academic and clinical duties following the assurance, expecting the government to issue a formal order within the stipulated period.
With the deadline ending, a delegation of interns and 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 pending proposal.
AIMSA said the officer informed the delegation that the required administrative processing and signatures had been completed and assured them that the formal order was expected within the next few days.
Following the latest assurance, the interns agreed to wait for another five days, while warning that failure to issue the order within this period could force them to resume their agitation.
The earlier protest had included an indefinite strike and a 48-hour hunger strike. The interns have maintained that repeated assurances would not resolve the issue without a formal government order implementing the stipend enhancement.
According to the interns, their monthly stipend has remained at ₹12,300 for nearly seven years, despite rising living expenses and the clinical responsibilities associated with their internship.
The latest extension has temporarily deferred the prospect of renewed agitation, but the next course of action will depend on whether the government issues the order within the additional timeframe.
The interns have also urged Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene and ensure that the commitment is fulfilled without further delay.
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