Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the resident doctors of state-run hospitals to call off their strike immediately. Doctors affiliated to Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) are on strike over several demands including increase in stipend.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice MS Sanklecha said Maharashtra government had taken effective steps to resolve the doctors' grievances. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by social worker Afak Mandaviya seeking action against the
striking doctors.
On directions from the High Court, the government had earlier formed a committee with a grievances redressal cell. Advocate General Darius Khambata on Wednesday told the court that several meetings of doctors and government authorities took place while other grievances were sorted out, the only sticking point was the stipend.
Resident doctors get a stipend of Rs 31,000 and are demanding Rs 41,000. The state is ready to pay Rs 36,000. After hearing the arguments, the court said government had taken effective steps and the strike should be called off immediately.
In future, if the doctors go on strike again, the government could take action under Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act, the court added, after it was told that MARD had, at the last hearing, assured the court that it would not go on strike in future.
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