Omar doubles interns’ stipend to ₹25,000

CM clears long-pending file; Health and Medical Education Department told to issue orders immediately; formal notification due Wednesday after holiday delay; interns to get ₹12,700 more a month, a rise of about 103 per cent
BuzzBytes
SRINAGAR,: In a major development for medical and dental graduates undergoing compulsory internship in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has approved the enhancement of their monthly stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹25,000, with the Health and Medical Education Department directed to issue the necessary orders immediately.
Top official sources told BuzzBytes that the Chief Minister has cleared the file concerning the long-awaited revision, paving the way for a substantial increase in the monthly remuneration paid to MBBS and BDS interns.
“The Chief Minister has approved the file for enhancement of the monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000. The Health and Medical Education Department has been directed to issue the necessary orders immediately,” sources said.
Sources said the formal order was expected to be issued on Tuesday itself, but the holiday prevented its issuance. The department is now to issue the necessary notification on Wednesday, October 21.
The decision will increase the monthly stipend by ₹12,700, representing a rise of approximately 103.25 per cent over the existing amount.
On an annual basis, an intern receiving the revised stipend for 12 months would get ₹3 lakh against the earlier ₹1,47,600, an increase of ₹1,52,400.
The decision comes against the backdrop of sustained protests by MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir, who have been demanding an increase in their monthly stipend to ₹30,000.
The interns had launched an indefinite strike on August 31, arguing that their stipend had remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite rising living costs and demanding hospital duties.