BJP Demands Equal Stipends for Foreign Medical Graduates in Telangana

BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao has demanded that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) undergoing internships in government hospitals be paid a monthly stipend of Rs. 29,792, on par with other medical interns. He criticised the state government for allowing a significant disparity in payments, pointing out that two interns performing identical duties in the same hospital were receiving vastly different amounts, with one paid Rs. 29,792 and the other just Rs. 5,000. Rao expressed his support for the protesting medical students during his visit to their agitation on Thursday.

Addressing the protesters, Rao said FMGs who completed their medical education abroad and qualified in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) were being treated unfairly despite undertaking the same responsibilities as other house surgeons. He argued that these graduates were equally qualified to serve in government hospitals and should not be subjected to discriminatory payment practices. He also alleged that the Telangana government was disregarding the Supreme Court's directions on equal stipends for medical interns.

Rao questioned the government's handling of the agitation, which has continued for 34 days, and criticised the authorities for resorting to a lathi-charge and registering cases against the protesting students instead of initiating discussions to resolve the issue. He said the government should have addressed their grievances through dialogue rather than using force against them.

Pointing out that an additional annual expenditure of approximately Rs. 2 crore would be sufficient to ensure equal stipends, Rao questioned why the government was unwilling to allocate the funds. He demanded the immediate release of all pending arrears from January 2026 and payment of the revised monthly stipend of Rs. 29,792. He assured the FMG students that the BJP would continue to stand by them until their demands were fulfilled.

Separately, Rao accused the Congress government of failing to honour its promises to the youth despite completing 1,000 days in office in Telangana. He said the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) would intensify its agitation against the government's alleged failures in the coming days.

Reiterating the BJP's political objective in the state, Rao said the party was working towards establishing a double-engine government in Telangana under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also thanked national BJYM president Dr Hemant Joshi for attending the Telangana BJYM state executive committee meeting and encouraging party workers.