Madhya Pradesh Govt Sends Hostel Eviction Notice To Junior Doctors After 3,000 Medics Resigned To Support Stir

Junior doctors in six medical colleges across Madhya Pradesh have been protesting for a stipend hike as well as free Covid-19 treatment for them and their family.

Jabalpur: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College junior doctors shout slogans during a torchlight protest demanding a hike in their salaries, in Jabalpur, Thursday, June 03, 2021. (PTI Photo)

Bhopal: The stir between junior doctors and the Madhya Pradesh government entered its sixth day on Saturday as the medics refused to end the agitation despite the High Court terming the strike illegal.

The matter has escalated as the state government on Saturday sent eviction notices to the doctors who recently resigned, asking them to vacate their hostels. This order comes after 3,000 medics had resigned on Thursday post the High Court order.

"Our peaceful protest will continue. They have asked us to vacate the government hostel in Bhopal, and also pay bond fees (which runs into several lakh rupees". When they can serve us eviction notices, why not release a written order increasing our stipend," Madhya Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) secretary Ankita Tripathi told news agency PTI.

She informed that JUDA functionaries attempted to resolve the issue by seeking an appointment with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

While the JUDA secretary says that they were not as of now planning on approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the MP HC order, others said that was being seen as an option.

MP Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said that the state government had given a stipend hike of 17 percent, however, the doctors were adamant it should be 24 percent.

"The High Court has termed their strike illegal and asked them to return to work within 24 hours. We are ready to hold talks to settle the issue. We have accepted most of their demands," he told PTI.

Junior doctors in six medical colleges across Madhya Pradesh have been protesting for a stipend hike as well as free Covid-19 treatment for them and their family.

Matters escalated when the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday directed the striking junior doctors in the state to resume their duties within 24 hours. Following this, the protesting medicos remained defiant and nearly 3,000 of them resigned from their posts and announced they will challenge the ruling.