Tamil Nadu government doctors to stage demonstration over pay hike issue

In Government Order (GO) 354, it is mentioned that the doctors would be given a pay-hike after completion of 5, 9, 11, and 12 years of service instead of the present 8,15,17, and 20 years. Recently, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, after conducting a discussion with the Principal Secretary of all the Departments, had instructed to implement all the GOs within a specified time. On contrary, the due salary of pay band 4 at 12 years as per the GO 354, issued in the period of former chief minister M Karunanidhi in 2009 is yet to be implemented till date. 

“As the above long-pending demands are not addressed by the government even after repeated representations to the health secretary and health minister, we have decided to go for agitations in order to attract the attention of our Chief Minister, for that we are planning to conduct a demonstration in Madurai on October 22 and one day fasting in Chennai on November 10,” said Dr S Perumal Pillai, President, Legal coordination Committee for Government Doctors. 

Doctors said that during the pandemic, the majority of the private hospitals and clinics remained closed, and only the government hospitals were an asylum for the public. When compared to salaries in other state government hospitals, the TN government pays the lowest salary to the government doctors. However, we are in the first position when it comes to health care services. 

“The government has put many GOs in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2021, after this GO 354, as to not implement it. This GO is promulgated, the government should implement or withdraw it, and it is kept as prolonged suspended. The government is not giving an oral commitment, because they have to spend Rs 360 crore yearly. But through the CM health insurance scheme, we are earning Rs 4,000 crore for the government, they can at least allot from this money,” said Dr Syed Thahir Hussain, Secretary, Legal coordination Committee for Government Doctors. 

A senior government official said that due to the financial crisis during the COVID pandemic, the State government is not able to revise the GO for the government doctors.