UP Bonded Doctors Protest Against Pay Disparity, detained by police
Lucknow: Protesting against pay disparities, MBBS bonded doctors in Lucknow staged a demonstration on the road outside the Gandhi statue on Wednesday, raising their demands for equal pay and payment of long-pending arrears.
The doctors, who are employed at community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) in rural areas, questioned the wide pay gap with the doctors employed at the government medical colleges. They have demanded the implementation of a uniform pay system for all eligible doctors and the payment of outstanding arrears.
According to a Bhaskar report, police officials detained the protesting doctors and sent them to Eco Garden.
On Tuesday, the protesting doctors reportedly stopped a police bus. Several women doctors reportedly tried to stop the bus by pushing it with their hands. Some doctors lay down in front of the bus saying, "Run over us; we will not move." They also said that the Deputy Chief Minister had forgotten his promise and that they had been protesting for 40 days.
The alleged incident took place at around 2 PM. Consequently, police removed the doctors from the Gandhi statue in Hazratganj and took them to the protest site at Eco Garden, Bhaskar has reported.
Sharing a video of the police action, Dr Saransh Verma, RDA President of Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, saifai, Etawah, wrote on X, "UP, “Gundaraj” isn’t just a political slogan — it’s how bonded doctors are being treated. Deputy CM promised “One Bond, One Salary” in early September. The GO never came."
"PROTESTING Doctors Detained in UP!! Lucknow: Bonded doctors in Uttar Pradesh protested for salary disparities among MBBS doctors serving under the same two-year bond, with reports of police detentions intensifying concerns. Doctors are demanding a uniform pay structure under the slogan “One Bond, One Salary.” Despite Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak’s reported assurance of a uniform salary GO by September 3, the order remains awaited. Doctors have urged the state government to honour its promise and resolve the issue through dialogue," wrote the X handle of Indian Doctor.
Why are UP Bonded Doctors protesting?
MBBS doctors from the 2018, 2019, and 2020 batches of Uttar Pradesh's government medical colleges are protesting against salary disparities. The doctors alleged that despite having the same degree, the same bond, and the same service, they are being paid different salaries.
They stated that while bonded doctors at Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres receive only Rs 50,000-65,000 per month without allowances, those posted at government medical colleges receive Level-10 pay with applicable allowances, while NHM doctors doing similar work at CHCs/PHCs earn over Rs 1 lakh. Hence, they are demanding "one bond, one salary" with equal pay and allowances for all bonded doctors.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that last month, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak met the protesting doctors and assured them that a uniform pay scale would be implemented. Pathak said a government order addressing their salary concerns would be issued, and for this he sought time from the doctors until 2 PM on September 3.
However, since no order was issued by the Government, the doctors initiated an indefinite hunger strike from September 18, 2026, alleging that despite assurances from the Government, no order has been issued to date.
Demands:
The doctors are demanding Level-10/5,400 Grade Pay remuneration for bonded doctors posted at CHCs and PHCs, at par with bonded doctors serving at government medical colleges. They have also demanded applicable DA, HRA, NPA, and TA, along with the immediate release of admissible arrears for the affected batches for periods of service already rendered.
They also sought a time-bound written decision and official communication, with an early appointment/meeting with representatives of the doctors, equal pay for all bonded doctors performing equivalent duties, irrespective of batch, institution of graduation, or place/institution of posting, appropriate allowance for doctors serving at remote, rural and difficult CHC/PHC postings and provision of annual increment as applicable, so that remuneration does not remain stagnant under the outdated fixed-pay structure.
The doctors also submitted a representation to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking his intervention in the matter.
