HYDERABAD: In order to establish a more structured and efficient system for stipend disbursement, junior doctors in the State have come to a consensus to accept a one-month delay in stipend payments, with the condition that they be credited regularly between the 5th and 10th of each month.
The Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (TJUDA) has formally submitted this proposal to both Health Minister T Harish Rao and the Director of Medical Education (DME). Dr Kaushik Kumar Pinjarala, president of TJUDA, expressed optimism and said, “We hope that the government will ensure that our stipends for August will be credited on or before October 10.”
The junior doctors have emphasised that the irregular disbursement of stipends has been causing significant inconvenience and financial uncertainty for the recipients. These delays not only disrupt the financial planning of junior residents but also adversely affect their overall morale and productivity, as highlighted in the representation.
The stipend disbursement process involves a sequence of five crucial steps. Initially, departments collect and submit attendance records to the principal’s office. Subsequently, the principal forwards these attendance records to the DME, who plays a pivotal role in the process by providing token numbers. These token numbers are then relayed to the pay and accounts office, which acts as an intermediary. Finally, the Finance department takes charge, of processing and clearing these token numbers to enable the timely disbursement of stipends to the intended recipients.
Due to the complexity of this process and potential delays at any of these steps, stipends have been consistently delayed each month.