Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir Government is considering a substantial increase in the monthly stipend paid to MBBS interns, with Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo saying a proposal to raise the allowance from ₹12,000 to ₹30,000 has been sent to the Finance Department for examination.
Itoo said the demand raised by medical interns was genuine, particularly in view of rising inflation and the workload associated with compulsory internship. She said the Health Department had already processed the proposal and forwarded it to the Finance Department to assess its financial implications.
“We have met them. After meeting them, we have processed their file. The file has been sent to the Finance Department for the financial implications. It is under process,” the minister said.
Itoo acknowledged the concerns raised by MBBS and BDS interns and said the government understood the need to revise the existing stipend.
“It is their genuine demand. We do not say that it is wrong. Because these days there is a lot of inflation. There is a need to increase it. We ourselves agree,” she said.
The minister also said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was aware of the issue and that the government had already initiated steps towards addressing the interns’ demand.
“The Chief Minister has also said this. The government is already working on this. The Health Department is already working on this,” Itoo said.
The development follows peaceful demonstrations by MBBS and BDS interns at Government Medical Colleges and other medical institutions across Jammu and Kashmir, including SKIMS Bemina, seeking an increase in their monthly stipend.
The interns have cited long working hours, demanding clinical responsibilities and heavy workloads during their compulsory internship period, arguing that the existing allowance does not adequately reflect their responsibilities and the rising cost of living.
While supporting the interns’ demand, Itoo said there was no need for them to resort to a strike as the government was already examining the matter.
“They did not need to go on strike. It is under process without it. I do not think it is right to go on strike. It affects their patient care,” she said.
The proposed revision will now depend on the Finance Department’s assessment of the additional financial burden on the government. Interns, meanwhile, are awaiting an early decision on the proposed increase from ₹12,000 to ₹30,000 per month.
If approved, the revision would more than double the existing stipend and provide significant financial relief to medical interns across Jammu and Kashmir.
