Srinagar, Oct 9 (KNS) : prolonged struggle for stipend enhancement of MBBS and BDS Interns in Jammu & Kashmir has once again been pushed into uncertainty, as the Finance Department has returned the long-awaited file even after approval by the Health Minister, Sakina Itoo.
The issue dates back to June 2023, when a dedicated Stipend Enhancement Committee was constituted to review and rationalize the meager stipend paid to Medical Interns in J&K — one of the lowest in the country. Despite repeated assurances, no final decision has been implemented to date.
In November 2024, the Finance Department had raised certain queries on the file concerning stipend enhancement. The Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department took nearly eleven months to compile and submit the required clarifications after a detailed internal examination. The file was then vetted and approved by the Secretary H&ME and subsequently by the Health Minister, reflecting the department’s full endorsement of the proposal.
However, instead of issuing the final approval, the Finance Department has returned the file once again on the pretext of “incomplete inputs,” effectively undoing months of official processing and ministerial approvals.
This has left thousands of Medical Interns and Medical Students disheartened and demoralized, who have been continuously following up on the matter through official representations, reminders, and public appeals.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThe students have expressed deep resentment over the lack of coordination between departments and termed the recurring back-and-forth movement of the file as a “classic example of bureaucratic negligence.”
“It is unfortunate that despite the Hon’ble Health Minister’s approval, the file is being tossed between departments without accountability. The future of hundreds of young doctors is being played with for no reason,” said a representative of the interns.
The interns have urged the Hon’ble Chief Minister to take direct cognizance of the matter and ensure that the Finance Department clears the file without any further delay. They have also requested that no further clarifications or procedural excuses be entertained at this stage, as all due processes have already been complied with by the Health Department.
“We are not seeking favors — we are demanding fairness. Eleven months is too long for a simple approval. The government must act now,” said another representative.
The Interns now await a swift resolution and issuance of final approval so that justice is delivered to the Interns who have been serving tirelessly in hospitals under difficult conditions for inadequate stipends.(KNS)