Most demands met, Himachal doctors call off stir

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Shimla, February 24

Finally, the two-week long strike of doctors has come to an end. The protesting doctors called off their strike following a meeting with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here today, in which most of their demands were accepted and a high-powered technical committee was formed to look into a few other issues.

“The Chief Minister heard us for two hours and simultaneously gave directions to the officials concerned to take action to fulfil our demands,” said Dr Pushpender Verma, secretary of the Doctors’ Joint Action Committee.

20% allowance

• 20 per cent non-practising allowance (NPA) to be implemented from Jan 1, 2022.
• The allowance will be considered part of basic salary.
• Doctors assured about continuation of 4-9-14 scheme.
• The state government also agreed to increase special allowance of the doctors.

The doctors had been observing the two-hour pen-down strike everyday for the last two weeks across the state to put pressure on the government. They had been demanding that the non-practising allowance (NPA) should be paid to them at 25 per cent of their basic pay and their basic pay plus NPA should be capped at Rs 2,37,600 on the Punjab pattern. The other major demands included the continuation of the 4-9-14 scheme and full salary to contractual medical officers at entry level.

Notification for NPA

The CM has instructed the Finance Department to issue a notification regarding providing non-practising allowance to doctors hired on contractual basis. —Dr Pushpender Verma, Secy, Joint action panel

Dr Verma said for capping the salary, a consensus was reached to cap it at Rs 2,24,100 as the maximum ceiling on salary in the state was Rs 2,25,000. “Also, the CM has instructed the Finance Department to issue a notification regarding providing NPA to doctors hired on contractual basis,” said Dr Verma.

The other agreements that the government and the doctors arrived at included 20 per cent NPA to be implemented from January 1, 2022, and it would be considered part of the basic salary. Also, the government assured the doctors about the continuation of the 4-9-14 scheme. The government also agreed to increase special allowance of the doctors.

The technical committee, comprising senior bureaucrats and representatives of the doctors, would consider academic allowance/PG allowance, dynamic 4-9-14 scheme, cadre enhancement and upgrade of posts. The committee will submit its report within two months.