Watch: Telangana AYUSH medicos protest for higher stipends

AYUSH house surgeons and PG scholars in Telangana intensified their 17-day protest by storming the Commissionerate office in Secunderabad. Nearly 100 medicos sought talks with senior officials, demanding higher stipends and highlighting the disparity with Allopathy and other States.

Hyderabad: House surgeons and PG AYUSH scholars who have been protesting for increased stipends for the past 17 days stormed the AYUSH Commissionerate office in Secunderabad on Thursday, demanding justice for their cause.

With the State government not taking any conciliatory measures, the medicos and PG scholars, on behalf of Telangana AYUSH Joint Action Committee (AYUSH-JAC), have been trying to meet senior health authorities and hold discussions over their demands.

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On Thursday, nearly 100 Ayush medicos and PG scholars turned up at Ayush Commissionerate office to meet senior health officials. “They have been avoiding holding talks with us. We will continue to protest till our demand for a rise in stipends is met by the State government,” said Dr Anurag Singh, vice-president, Telangana State Ayurveda PG and House Surgeons Association.

During the course of the protests, the AYUSH medicos have maintained that their stipends are low when compared to their counterparts in Allopathy.

Currently, Allopathy PGs in Telangana receive between Rs 67,032 and Rs 74,782 while AYUSH PGs receive Rs 30,947 to Rs 34,385. The house surgeons and interns in Allopathy receive a stipend of Rs 29,792 while their counterparts in AYUSH get paid Rs 13,754. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh pays its AYUSH interns Rs 25,906 and PGs up to Rs 64,767, while states like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh cross Rs 95,000.