6 hours ago
Government doctors to walk from Salem to Chennai demanding an increase in pay
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To draw the attention of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to their demands, the Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) has decided to organise a march from Salem to Chennai on June 11.
One of the long-pending demands of government doctors in the State is the grant of pay band – 4 at 12 years of service as per the Government Order (G.O.) 354.
President of the LCC S. Perumal Pillai, in a statement said, government doctors were not calling for salary hike, but were fighting for the implementation of the existing G.O. They are requesting the government to provide the fourth payscale — given after 20 years of service — at the beginning of the 13th year.
Pay disparity
The Central and State government doctors join service at the same basic salary. Citing the pay disparities thereon, LCC said that instead of the monthly salary of ₹1,23,000 that a Central government doctor gets for 13 years, a State government doctor receives ₹86,000 as basic salary.
From 2017, they have been insisting that the prospective clause of the G.O. 354 be implemented, and a basic salary of ₹1,23,000 be given to State government doctors from the 13th year onward.
'Appoint more doctors'
The organisation said the government, which is interested in opening new medical colleges and hospitals, has not shown interest in appointing an adequate number of doctors, nurses, and medical staff. Depending on the number of patients, more doctors and nurses should be appointed in government hospitals, it said.
It also demanded that a government job be given and relief granted to the wife of Vivekanandan, a government doctor who died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the march planned from Mettur in Salem, the doctors will meet people and elaborate their demands. They will also highlight the need to strengthen the structure of the Public Health Department.
The members of the LCC have requested the Chief Minister to immediately intervene and fulfil the doctors' demands.
