Telangana BJP demands higher stipends for AYUSH PG doctors, immediate release of arrears

BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao expressed concern on Wednesday over the stipends for AYUSH postgraduate doctors and house surgeons, demanding they be aligned with Allopathy's counterparts and the release of overdue payments immediately. The BJP leader visited the hunger strike camp of AYUSH medical students and house surgeons at B.R.K.R.

Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital in Erragadda, where the protesters had been demanding higher stipends for the past 16 days. Rao stood in solidarity with the striking AYUSH doctors on behalf of the BJP and accused the Congress government of discriminatory practices, highlighting that a 2006 Government Order in Andhra Pradesh provided for equal treatment of Indian Systems of Medicine and Allopathy students, but the stipend parity had not been implemented in Telangana since statehood.

Rao pointed out the stark disparity in stipend payments between neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where Andhra Pradesh pays ₹60,000 to AYUSH postgraduates and ₹25,000 to house surgeons, while Telangana pays only ₹30,000 and ₹13,000, respectively. He questioned the actions of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders, who had previously demanded equal stipends for AYUSH doctors during the previous BRS regime, and demanded that the Minister, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, answer the allegations of evading responsibility in the controversial 22-A land registration issue at a press conference.