AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Sunday approved a non-practising allowance for in-service doctors of government hospitals and teachers of the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) medical colleges, in line with the 7th Pay Commission's recommendation.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the state health portfolio, announced this as the "Rakshabandhan gift" for the doctors and medical college teachers, who were pressing for it and had even gone on strike over the demand.
"Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has approved NPA as per the 7th Pay Commission to the eligible in-service doctors of government hospitals and GMERS medical college teachers as a Rakshabandhan gift," said a note on Patel's Facebook page.
The nod comes a few months after the state government in May approved the NPA for teachers of six government medical colleges, as per the 7th Pay Commission, as a condition for them to call off their strike along with teachers of eight GMERS medical colleges.
The GMERS medical colleges are semi-government institutions established under the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society of the state health department.
Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA) president Dr Rajnish Patel welcomed the government's decision. "It is a welcome move that the government has accepted the pending demands of the GMERS medical college teachers and in-service doctors. They had been a part of the strike called by the GMTA, but the government had not approved of it earlier," he said.