Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Oct 19 (KNO): MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir on Monday evening held candlelight marches at Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina, demanding the long-pending enhancement of their stipends.
The interns expressed resentment over what they described as repeated assurances without any concrete action, alleging that the government had failed to honour its written commitment despite the lapse of the stipulated timeframe.
An AIMSA representative told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that interns' representatives met the Director General, Finance (Budget), and the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Health and Medical Education Minister at the Civil Secretariat on Monday to discuss the issue.
However, the meeting failed to provide clarity on when the stipend enhancement order would be issued, the representative said.
According to the interns, they were assured in writing that the stipend hike would be implemented within a month, but nearly two months have passed without any formal order.
"We were assured in writing that the stipend hike would be implemented within a month. Nearly two months have passed, but there has been no concrete progress. Every time we approach the authorities, we are given the same assurances, while the actual order remains elusive," the representative said.
The interns said the delay had left them frustrated and raised questions about the government's commitment to resolving the issue. They also alleged that warnings had been issued to those pursuing the demand and expressed displeasure over what they termed discourteous treatment by officials.
AIMSA president Dr Mohammad Momin Khan said interns could not be expected to wait indefinitely after receiving a written assurance from the authorities. He said the demand was not for fresh assurances but for implementation of the commitment already made.
The interns also flagged what they described as contradictory statements regarding the status of the file, saying the absence of a formal government order continued to fuel uncertainty.
Meanwhile, deliberations are underway among interns on their future course of action. They said the candlelight marches were part of a peaceful effort to draw attention to the issue and seek a time-bound resolution.
The interns reiterated their demand for the government to honour its written assurance and issue the stipend enhancement order without further delay, warning that continued inaction could force them to intensify their peaceful agitation—(KNO)