Srinagar: There was no breakthrough in talks between the protesting MBBS and BDS interns and the Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday, with the doctors refusing to withdraw their strike after Health Minister Sakeena Itoo sought one month’s time to resolve their demand for enhancement of the monthly stipend.
The delegation of protesting interns met the Health Minister and the Chief Minister’s Advisor to press for an immediate decision on their long-pending demand. The government informed them that the matter was under consideration and that the file had been sent to the Finance Department.
The Minister sought one month’s time to complete the process and issue a formal order. The interns, however, rejected the timeframe, saying they had already waited long enough and would not suspend their agitation on verbal assurances.
The interns are demanding an increase in their monthly stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹30,000.
Dr Tasaduq, an intern at GMC Srinagar who attended the meeting, said the delegation made it clear that the strike would continue until the government issued a formal order.
“The minister sought one month’s time from us, but we disagreed. We have already waited and cannot call off the strike merely on assurances. Until our demand is fulfilled and an official order is issued, we will continue our strike,” he said.
The interns maintained that their demand was not merely for an assurance but for a clear decision backed by a written government order.
Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Incharge AIMSA J&K, said the government needed to provide a definite roadmap instead of asking the interns to wait indefinitely.
The MBBS and BDS interns have been on strike across government medical colleges in J&K for the last five days, putting pressure on the administration to expedite the process.
Minister says process under consideration
The Health Minister, according to the protesting doctors, informed the delegation that the proposal had been referred to the Finance Department and that the government was working on a mechanism to address the issue.
The government’s request for one month’s time, however, failed to convince the interns, who maintained that they would reconsider the strike only after receiving a formal order approving the stipend enhancement.
The deadlock has therefore continued, with neither side agreeing to the other’s position.
BJP attacks government over handling of protest
The development also triggered a political response, with the BJP criticising the government over its handling of the agitation.
BJP J&K spokesperson Dr Hari Dutt Shishu described the government’s approach towards the protesting intern doctors as “casual and insensitive” and demanded that a written order on the stipend hike be issued without further delay.
Shishu said the interns had already waited for a prolonged period and questioned the need for seeking another month’s time when the demand had been pending for years.
He backed the interns’ decision not to withdraw their strike on the basis of verbal assurances, saying the government should provide a concrete commitment rather than extend the process further.
The BJP leader also alleged that repeated delays had created a trust deficit between the government and the medical fraternity and urged the Health Department to coordinate with the Finance Department for an early decision.
With Friday’s meeting ending without a settlement, the interns are set to continue their agitation, while the government faces pressure to expedite the file and come up with a formal decision on the proposed ₹30,000 monthly stipend.
