Medical, dental teachers end strike in Patiala

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 6

Ending their protest, medical and dental teachers of Government Medical and Dental College today announced that they would resume OPD services and teaching from tomorrow. The state government, a few days ago, had agreed to link the non-practising allowance (NPA) with the basic pay, which was one of main demands of medical and dental teachers.

However, outrightly rejecting the government’s decision to yield to their only one demand doctors decided to continue their stir until the NPA was restored to 25 per cent.

When asked about the sudden decision to end the protest, Dr DS Bhullar, state general secretary of the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association (PSMDTA), said one of their two main demands had already been fulfilled by the government. Therefore, they had called off the strike, he added. However, they would write to the state Finance Minister to restore NPA to 25 per cent, he said.

The decision to call off strike was taken after holding a general body meeting of the association, he added.

Earlier, the PSMDTA had announced that its members would not end their protest until both their demands, including restoration of NPA to 25 per cent and linking it with the basic pay, were fulfilled.