Srinagar, Sep 04: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is scheduled to meet a delegation of MBBS and BDS interns from various medical institutions in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to discuss their demand for an increase in the monthly stipend, sources said.
The meeting has been convened amid an ongoing indefinite strike by medical interns, who have been seeking revision of their stipend, currently fixed at Rs 12,300 per month.
Five representatives from different institutions have been selected to meet the Chief Minister. The delegation comprises Dr Tasaduk from GMC Srinagar, Dr Akib Javid from GMC Anantnag, Dr Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Dr Tanish Mansotra from GMC Jammu, and Dr Faraz from SKIMS, sources said.
The interns are expected to seek an increase in the monthly stipend to Rs 30,000, citing the rising cost of living and the responsibilities associated with their duties in government hospitals.
The strike began on August 31 and has witnessed protests at government medical colleges across Jammu and Kashmir, including GMC Srinagar, GMC Jammu, GMC Anantnag, GMC Kathua, GMC Doda, GMC Rajouri, GMC Udhampur and GMC Baramulla. Interns at SKIMS and SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, are also participating in the agitation.
The protesting interns have maintained that the existing stipend of Rs 12,300 has not been revised for nearly seven years and amounts to around Rs 400 a day. They have been pressing the government to address what they describe as a long-pending demand for stipend enhancement. (Agencies)
