Resident doctors at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation hospitals begin protest over pending dearness allowance implementation

Resident doctors at civic hospitals in Mumbai will begin a phased protest from Wednesday after talks with the municipal administration over pending dearness allowance (DA) revisions and arrears failed to yield results.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors said repeated negotiations have made no progress, even though DA revisions were approved three times but not implemented. Doctors claim that despite a cumulative 31% increase, the revised allowance is not reflected in their salaries.

Dearness allowance, a cost-of-living adjustment to offset inflation, is periodically revised. According to the association, first-year residents currently receive ₹43,857 as DA, which should rise to about ₹47,000. Second- and third-year residents, now receiving ₹44,522 and ₹45,186 respectively, are also due similar increases. The total revision is estimated at roughly ₹3,000 per doctor.

The pending revisions include a 12% hike effective July 1, 2024, followed by 11% from January 1, 2025, and 8% from July 1, 2025. However, non-implementation has resulted in arrears of nearly ₹50,000 per resident, the association said.

At present, monthly stipends stand at ₹81,000 for first-year, ₹82,000 for second-year and ₹83,000 for third-year residents.

Announcing the protest, Dr Amar Agame, general secretary of BMC-MARD, said doctors will start by wearing black ribbons. From Friday, those posted in outpatient departments will go on mass leave, with further escalation planned if demands remain unmet.

Deputy municipal commissioner (public health) Sharad Ughade had earlier urged doctors to defer the agitation, but with no resolution, the protest will proceed.

Meanwhile, Dr Shailesh Mohite, dean of Nair Hospital, said the delay was procedural, caused by the absence of an authorised signatory. Officials have asked doctors to wait, but the association has decided to move ahead.

If the agitation intensifies, essential services could be disrupted, adding pressure on the city’s public healthcare system.