Srinagar, Oct 20 (KNO): MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir have launched protests and announced an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to issue the long-pending order on stipend enhancement despite a written assurance to finalise the matter within 30 days.
The protesting interns held candlelight marches at Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina, on Monday evening, reiterating that their agitation would continue until the government issues a formal order on the stipend hike.
Carrying placards that read, “Written assurance given, 30 days passed, still no order” and “Government must keep its word,” the interns said the stipulated period had expired without any official order.
The interns said the government had provided a written assurance that the matter would be finalised within 30 days, but the commitment had not been implemented.
“The government gave a written assurance to finalise the matter within 30 days. We are still waiting, and there is no official order. Assurances are not a solution anymore; we want implementation of the commitment made to us,” the protesting interns said.
They referred to government record notes dated September 4 and 9, 2026, stating that the matter would be finalised within 30 days. The interns said the failure to issue an order within the stipulated timeframe had further eroded their confidence in repeated assurances from the authorities.
*‘Same assurances, same delays’*
The interns said repeated delays had left them with little faith in verbal commitments and stressed that they wanted a clear and final decision on the enhancement of their stipends.
“Same assurances, same delays and the same pattern. Enough is enough. We have been patient and have repeatedly approached the authorities, but the outcome remains the same. We cannot continue waiting indefinitely when a written commitment has already been made,” they said.
An AIMSA representative told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that a delegation of interns met the Director General, Finance (Budget), and the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Health and Medical Education Minister at the Civil Secretariat on Monday to discuss the issue.
However, the meeting failed to provide a clear timeline for issuance of the stipend enhancement order, the representative said.
The interns alleged that despite repeated discussions with the authorities, the matter had not reached its logical conclusion, leaving them uncertain about when the promised enhancement would be implemented.
They also expressed displeasure over what they described as discourteous treatment by some officials and alleged that warnings had been issued to some of those pursuing the demand.
*Demand official order, not fresh assurances*
AIMSA president Dr Mohammad Momin Khan said the interns could not be expected to wait indefinitely after the government had given a written assurance regarding resolution of the matter.
He said the interns were no longer seeking another round of discussions or fresh assurances, but implementation of the commitment already made by the government.
The interns also raised concerns over what they described as contradictory statements regarding the status of the file, saying the absence of a formal order continued to create uncertainty over the proposed stipend enhancement.
They maintained that the government’s written commitment should translate into a concrete administrative decision within the stipulated timeframe.
*Indefinite strike until official order*
The interns have now announced an indefinite strike until the official order on stipend enhancement is issued.
The MBBS and BDS interns said their agitation would continue until the government fulfilled its commitment and issued the formal order.
An intern told KNO that if the government failed to issue the order despite the ongoing strike, they would have no option but to intensify the agitation and consider a hunger strike.
“We feel betrayed. The government gave us a written assurance that the matter would be finalised within 30 days, but even after the stipulated period, there is no order. We have been patient and have repeatedly approached the authorities, but our concerns continue to be ignored. If the government still fails to honour its commitment, we will be forced to go on a hunger strike,” the intern said.
The interns said, “Written assurance given, 30 days passed, no official order. Interns are still waiting. We will continue our strike until the official order is issued.”
They appealed to the government to intervene and resolve the matter without further delay, asserting that issuance of the official order was the only acceptable outcome after repeated assurances.
The interns reiterated that they were seeking implementation of an existing commitment and urged the government to honour its written assurance and bring the prolonged uncertainty over the stipend hike to an end—(KNO)