SRINAGAR — The deadlock over the stipend of MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir continued on Friday after a meeting between representatives of the protesting interns and Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo failed to produce an agreement, with the interns deciding to continue their indefinite strike.
The interns had sought a clear written commitment on enhancement of their monthly stipend. However, Dr Zamin Javiad, an intern from GMC Anantnag who was part of the delegation, said the minister did not provide the written assurance sought by the interns.
Speaking about the meeting, Javiad said Itoo told the delegation that the issue would be resolved within a month and assured them that the government was working towards a possible solution.
The interns, however, wanted the assurance in writing. “We wanted a written assurance, but the Minister declined,” Javiad told news agency KNT, adding that Itoo maintained that discussions remained open and that the interns could approach her at any time.
The meeting ended without an agreement that could persuade the interns to withdraw their agitation.
The interns have been demanding that their monthly stipend be increased from the existing ₹12,300 to ₹30,000. They began their indefinite strike on August 31, saying the stipend has remained unchanged for years despite inflation, long working hours, emergency duties and the responsibilities assigned to them in government hospitals.
The government has previously acknowledged the demand. Itoo had described it as justified and said the proposal was under consideration in the Finance Department, while also urging the interns to call off the strike because of its impact on patient care.
The interns said assurances that the matter was “under process” were no longer sufficient, particularly after the issue remained pending despite earlier recommendations and repeated representations.
Javiad said the interns would not end their agitation merely on the basis of another verbal assurance. “We will continue our strike till the resolution of our issue,” he said.
The decision means clinical services will continue to be affected at medical institutions where interns have withdrawn from routine duties.
Reports from GMC Srinagar have already indicated additional workload for postgraduate doctors following the interns’ absence from wards, emergency departments and other clinical areas.
The interns maintained that they were not seeking an indefinite confrontation with the government but a formal decision that would provide certainty over the revised stipend.
For now, however, the meeting has failed to break the impasse, with the interns making it clear that the strike will continue until their demand is resolved.
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