Maharashtra govt medical interns threaten stir from May 2

The interns of the government medical colleges across Maharashtra would launch an indefinite strike from May 2 to stress for their long pending demand for a hike in their stipend, their association has said.

There are 2,000 interns working at 18 government Medical Colleges across the State and they are given a meagre sum of Rs 2,550 per month as stipend, Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) president Gururaj Tammewar said.

"We have been demanding for a proportionate hike in our stipend and organised various methods of agitations till now," ASMI secretary Vijay Katare said, "but all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears."

As per the Medical Council of India's norms, an intern must be paid a stipend equal to 50% of the monthly salary of a resident doctor. The resident doctors in Maharashtra are getting a monthly salary of over Rs 25,000 and hence the interns are eligible for its half as stipend, he said.