Srinagar, Oct 20 (KNS): The prolonged delay in revising stipends for MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered an indefinite strike, with the protesting doctors questioning the government's failure to act on its written assurance to resolve the matter within 30 days.
The agitation intensified on Monday evening, when interns held candlelight marches at Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina, highlighting the gap between the government's stated commitment and the absence of a formal order.
The interns speaking to news agency KNS said government record notes dated September 4 and 9, 2026, had indicated that the matter would be finalised within 30 days. However, the deadline passed without an official notification on stipend enhancement, prompting them to launch an indefinite strike.
The latest protest comes amid repeated engagements with the authorities, which the interns said have failed to produce a concrete decision.
An AIMSA representative said a delegation met the Director General, Finance (Budget), and the Officer on Special Duty to the Health and Medical Education Minister at the Civil Secretariat on Monday. The meeting, however, did not yield a definite timeline for issuing the order, the representative said.
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The interns alleged that uncertainty over the status of the file and repeated delays had undermined their confidence in the government's assurances. They also alleged that some officials had treated them discourteously and warned some of those pursuing the demand.
AIMSA president Dr Mohammad Momin Khan said the interns had already waited for the period specified by the government and could not be expected to continue waiting indefinitely.
The protesters said their demand was no longer for further discussions or assurances, but for a formal administrative order implementing the promised stipend enhancement.
They have decided to continue the strike until the order is issued, warning that the agitation could be intensified if the government fails to act.
An intern said the protesters might resort to a hunger strike if the impasse continued, alleging that the government had failed to honour its written commitment despite repeated representations.
The interns have appealed to the government to intervene and settle the issue, saying a formal order was necessary to end the uncertainty surrounding the proposed stipend revision. (KNS)
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