The Jammu and Kashmir government failed to persuade the striking medical interns to call off their agitation on Friday, as a meeting between the health minister Sakina Itoo and representatives of the protesting MBBS and BDS interns remained inconclusive.
“The health minister assured us that within a month there will be an enhancement in the stipend but we sought a written assurance. “We wanted some relief but that didn’t happen. But seven months down the line, the stipends have not been increased. Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) J&K president Vivek Bali criticised the NC government and its ally Congress over the interns’ long-pending demand.
The interns working in the government hospitals of J&K went on strike on August 31, demanding an increase in their monthly stipends, which they claim are among the ‘lowest in the country’. The National Conference (NC)-led government had told the legislative assembly in February that it had recommended to the finance department that the stipend be hiked from existing ₹ 12,300 to ₹ 25,000 per month. He said that the stipend has remained unchanged since 2019 despite rising cost of living.
There was a disagreement on this,” said Zaamin Javed, one of the interns’ representatives. The talks will continue and so will the protests,” said another intern. Urging Itoo to intervene, Bali said the government could not remain silent when young professionals are forced to protest. Itoo said the government tried to persuade the interns to end their protest as the file for hiking their stipends is with the finance department.
