Stipend of Sr Resident docs hiked by Rs 7,000

Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh today announced a hike of Rs 7,000 in the stipend of Senior Resident doctors from Rs 33,000 to Rs 40,000 and an increase of Rs 500 in honorarium being given to multi-purpose workers. He said that some harsh decisions would be required to make Himachal self-reliant.

Sukhu, while taking part in a debate on Budget proposals in the Vidhan Sabha, said that the economy of the state was gradually coming back on track. “Harsh decisions and legislation may cause some inconvenience but the outcome will be in the larger interest of the state,” he added. The debate lasted for 20 hours and 27 Congress and 25 BJP MLAs took part in it.

Meanwhile, dissatisfied over the Chief Minister’s reply, the BJP legislators engaged in heated arguments with the Congress MLAs and later staged a walk out from the Assembly when Sukhu was speaking. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the Chief Minister was misleading the House by furnishing wrong facts.

He added that the government was playing with the future of the youth by delaying the results of various recruitment exams and the Congress would face its consequences in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Sukhu said that the 10 guarantees that the Congress had given before the last Assembly elections would be completed in the five-year term of the government, keeping in mind the financial situation. He added that 2.37 lakh women would start getting the financial assistance of Rs 1,500 from February 25, thus increasing their social security pension.