Srinagar, Sep 4, : The indefinite strike by MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir entered its fifth day on Friday, with the long-pending demand for enhancement of their monthly stipend drawing support from political parties across the political spectrum even as the government prepares to hold talks with representatives of the protesting interns.Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is scheduled to meet a five-member delegation of the interns on Friday afternoon to discuss their demand for enhancement of the monthly stipend. The delegation comprises representatives from GMC Srinagar, GMC Anantnag, GMC Jammu and SKIMS, and is expected to press for an increase from the existing ₹12,300 to ₹30,000 per month.The interns began their indefinite strike on August 31, withdrawing from routine duties at government medical colleges and hospitals across J&K. They have maintained that the existing stipend has remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite inflation, extended working hours and the responsibilities assigned to them during internship.The protesters have pointed to the disparity with several other States and Union Territories, where medical interns receive substantially higher stipends. They have also cited a 2023 committee recommendation to increase the J&K stipend to ₹25,000, saying that despite the recommendation and subsequent discussion in the Legislative Assembly, the revision has not been implemented.The agitation has meanwhile attracted support from political parties.PDP leader Iltija Mufti visited the protesting interns at GMC Srinagar on September 1 and backed their demand for a ₹30,000 stipend. PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti subsequently joined the interns during an overnight vigil at SKIMS Bemina and appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally intervene and resolve the issue.The Congress, which is part of the ruling arrangement in J&K, has also taken up the issue. Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra wrote to Omar Abdullah seeking immediate consideration of the interns’ demand. A Congress delegation led by former minister Yogesh Sawhney, DCC Jammu Rural president Neeraj Kundan and senior leader Th Manmohan Singh later met protesting interns in Jammu and handed over the party’s letter to the Chief Minister.The BJP has also backed the demand, with its J&K unit urging the Chief Minister and Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene personally. BJP Health & Medical Cell convener Puneet Mahajan subsequently called for immediate dialogue and a time-bound decision, while also urging that essential healthcare services should not be affected by the agitation.Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari has described the interns’ demand as genuine and justified, urging the administration to provide them a fair stipend comparable with that paid to interns elsewhere in the country.National Conference MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah also met protesting interns at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, during the agitation. He attempted to initiate a dialogue and invited two interns to accompany him for a meeting with the authorities, but the protesters insisted that any negotiations should include representatives from medical colleges across J&K.On the government side, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo has said that the interns’ demand is justified and that the matter is already under process. According to her, representatives of the interns had met her and the proposal was subsequently forwarded to the Finance Department for examination of its financial implications. She has, however, urged the interns to call off the strike, saying withdrawal of their services affects patient care.The interns have so far remained unconvinced by assurances that the matter is under process. Their principal demand is now not merely consideration of the proposal but a concrete government decision and formal enhancement of the stipend.With the Chief Minister’s meeting with the five-member delegation scheduled for Friday, the talks could provide the first direct opportunity for the government and the protesting interns to discuss the dispute at the highest political level since the strike began.The outcome of the meeting is likely to determine whether the five-day-old agitation is suspended or continues across government medical institutions in Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]
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