BMC Medical College Interns Not Getting Hiked Stipend, May Go On Strike

A Government Resolution dated February 27, 2024, increased the stipend amount to RS 18,000 a month. But the medical interns at BMC colleges still receive the old stipend of Rs 11,000.

803 Medical students interning at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) medical colleges are demanding immediate implementation of a Government Resolution (GR) issued in February 2024 to increase their stipend from Rs 11,000 to Rs 18,000 a month. The aspiring doctors have warned of a strike if their demand is not met. According to the Association of Student Medical Interns (ASMI), the GR has been implemented in various other medical colleges across Maharashtra and interns are receiving an increased stipend. The BMC must issue a corporate resolution to implement the GR. However, the BMC has yet to take any action even after two-and-a-half months.

"On February 27, the Maharashtra government issued a Government Resolution (GR) mandating an increase in the stipend for medical interns. The delay in stipend adjustment is due to the requirement for the municipal corporation to issue their corporate resolution to implement the state government's directive. As of now, the BMC has not issued the necessary resolution, resulting in a 2.5-month delay and ongoing financial strain for the interns," Ninad, president of ASMI, told ABPLIVE. 

"The failure to act on the GR has sparked concerns and frustrations among the interns, who feel neglected and unfairly treated. This delay highlights a bureaucratic lapse within the BMC, which has yet to align with the state government’s decision and rectify the stipend disparity," complained an intern Zeeshan Bagwan from TNMC Nair Hospital.

'Stipend Will Be Revised Soon'

ASMI members said they first wrote to the deans on March 1, asking them to implement the GR across the BMC-governed medical colleges, and have since followed up a few times but have soon no positive outcome so far.

"We had a meeting with the director some time ago, and we also met the additional municipal commissioner on May 14. They have asked us to wait due to the upcoming elections," said Dr Abhinav Wagh, joint secretary, ASMI.

Dr Neelam Andrade, Director of BMC Medical Colleges, however, denied the claims made by ASMI on the delay in payment of upgraded stipend.

"There is no delay on our end. These students have delayed the process by keeping the file with them. We are working on the issue, and the stipend amount will be revised soon," she said.

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