Supreme Court questions indifferent treatment to AYUSH doctors

Taking exception to indifferent treatment to Ayurveda, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Rajasthan government to release within a week pending salaries of retired government AYUSH doctors reinstated on the orders of the state high court.

“They are all working as doctors. Why this step motherly treatment to Ayurveda... why have you not released the salary?” a bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud asked the Rajasthan government, which had challenged the high court’s verdict.

“We clarify that there is no stay on the observations in the judgement of the high court. In the event that the outstanding salaries have not been paid, they shall be cleared within a period of one week not only in the case of respondents (AYUSH doctors who have moved the court) but all similarly placed doctors,” it said.

The top court’s order came after the counsel for AYUSH doctors submitted that despite having been taken back into service, their salaries were delayed by five months.

The state government had challenged the high court’s verdict that said there cannot be a different age of superannuation for allopathic doctors and those practising alternative systems of medicine.

Taking note of the shortage of allopathic doctors, the state government had enhanced their age of retirement from 60 to 62 years with effect from March 31, 2016. As their age of retirement remained unchanged at 60 years, AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) doctors filed a petition in the high court, seeking parity.

Allowing AYUSH doctors’ petition, the high court had ruled that all state government doctors should have the same age of retirement and said that they will be deemed to be in service up to the age of 62, if they were to retire after March 31, 2016.