Punjab doctors defer strike after health minister’s assurance

On the assurance of Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, the joint coordination committee of government doctors on Friday decided to postpone the agitation.

Government doctors had locked horns over the decision to accept the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, which includes reduction of the non-practicing allowance from 25% to 20% and delinking it from the basic pay.

A delegation of the committee, led PCMS Association president Dr Gagandeep Singh and senior vice-president Dr Gagandeep Singh Sergill, met minister Sidhu. During the meeting, Sidhu assured the doctors of restoration of NPA at the earlier rate and also promised to issue a notification in this regard by July 6.

The doctors, however, warned that the struggle has just been postponed and in case the demands are not met, the struggle will be intensified.

Since last week, doctors of various civil hospitals and veterinary hospitals had boycotted work except emergency services to protest against the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. The joint committee announced that after the assurance of the health minister, all the doctors in the state would carry out their work as usual from Saturday by putting black badges on and the next meeting of the joint committee would be held on July 6 evening to decide about the next strategy for the struggle.

Animal husbandry department deputy director Dr Amarjit Singh resigned in protest against the sixth pay commission’s recommendation on delinking of NPA from basic pay. While talking to mediapersons after submitting his resignation, he said veterinarians had the pay parity with other medicos which had been abolished in the sixth pay commission.