The total strike of medical students and house surgeons of Government Homeopathic Medical College, Ramanthapur, demanding release of their stipends, entered the fifth day on Friday. A group of students met Health Minister T. Rajaiah on Friday evening, but there was no sign of any assurances of help from the minister.
With no positive sign emerging from the meeting with the minister, the medicos said they would continue the strike and boycott classes.
“Today we held a silent protest by sporting black badges. Our demands are just and both [State] Governments must solve the issue amicably,” medicos demanded.
Postgraduate homeopathy scholars and house surgeons had gone on strike demanding the release of their stipends, which are pending from February, 2013 to June 1, 2014. Arrears of over Rs.1 crore have to be released to the PG students and house surgeons. With the stipends pending before bifurcation, the medicos said that neither officials from AP nor Telangana were willing to pick up the tab and release arrears.
“We are firm in our decision and will continue to protest till all our demands are met by authorities from TS and AP,” medicos reiterated.