BDS interns move on an indefinite strike over low stipend

Miffed over the lackadaisical mindset of the national government towards a low month-to-month stipend, BDS interns at Government Dental College and Hospital went on an indefinite strike today. Around 80 interns staged a dharna outside the college in opposition to a low monthly stipend at some stage in their one-12 month mandatory internship. The interns blocked the access of OPD patients to the hospital as a part of their protest.

The interns have been stressed to hike their stipend at the traces of equal paintings, identical pay foundation for the last week. The protesters said neither the university authorities nor the Department of Medical Education had taken note of the low stipend interns to get. They could retain their protest till their demands could be met. “We will now not pass back to work until our stipend is increased,” said a protester.

Another intern said, “We are being paid much less than a Class IV employee. It is a complete injustice to us.” Sahil Bhatia, general secretary of the Dental Students Association of Punjab, said, “We have already raised the stipend issue with the official involved. Following no response, we had to start the strike.” Director of Research and Medical Education Dr. Avnish Kumar couldn’t be contacted, notwithstanding repeated tries.

There has been no allow-up within the protest via BDS interns, who held a protest march within the city right here nowadays. They have been worrying about a hike in their month-to-month stipend during the obligatory internship.
Starting their protest march from Fountain Chowk, the BDS interns, beneath the Dental Students Association of Punjab (DSAP) banner, raised slogans against the government.

Disgruntled interns of Government Dental College and sanatorium need their stipend to be on the same paintings identical pay. BDS interns confirmed their resentment over the stipend quantity given to them by terming it to be meager and now not in sync with the character in their work. The protesting interns claimed that they had been being paid the bottom inside the united states of America for the duration of the only-yr rotatory internship after the BDS path. Currently, BDS interns have been paid Rs 9,000, which the protesters said has to be raised to Rs 20,000.

The BDS interns claimed an everyday hike in the annual tuition expenses, but there had been no corresponding growth within the stipend during the last eight years. It is pertinent to say that BDS interns had already met the Director of Research and Medical Education (DRME) over the problem and submitted a memorandum in this regard. Significantly, MBBS interns of the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital joined the protesting BDS interns in their protest march. Madhusudan Bansal, an intern, stated, “Over the years, there was a steep upward thrust within the annual tuition prices of BDS route. However, there was no longer any growth of their stipend.”