No Stipend for 11 months: Students, Interns of Govt Dental College Chandigarh stage protest

Chandigarh: A protest for non payment of stipends for the past 11 months was staged by Post graduate students and interns working at the Government Dental College and hospital ( GDC Chandigarh) . The protest was staged outside the district treasury office on Monday.The treasury officials on their part have issued an invoice number to the students promising quick reimbursement of their stipends in their accounts.

The protesters claimed that they had been running from pillar to post for their stipends, but had remained unsuccessful in receiving it as the government had yet not allocated a budget for it.

“ Now when the government has allocated the budget and the college administration had passed the bills, the treasury officials were delaying the matter stating that they could not clear the bills,” the students told the Tribune.

The students revealed that they had to take to the streets for the treasury officials to spring into action and assure help.

The Senior Vice President of PCMS Association and spokesperson, Resident Doctors Association, Dr. Gagandeep Singh Shergill and the Punjab State ministers, General Secretary, Jagdish Thakur, gave support to the student protest, criticizing the treatment meted out to them. They demand timely payment of stipend in the coming future.

The college has 35 PG students and 40 interns who are paid between Rs 42,000 and Rs47,000 as well as Rs 9000 per month respectively. The interns complained of having to face difficulties in managing expenses in the absence of the stipend.