UP CHC doctors decry pay disparity, salary delays

Lucknow: Bonded MBBS doctors posted at Community Health Centres (CHCs) across Uttar Pradesh have raised strong objections over pay disparities and the non-payment of salaries for the last three months.

The doctors, from the 2018 and 2019 MBBS batches, are serving under the state’s compulsory two-year service bond. They pointed out that while non-PG junior residents in government medical colleges are paid between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.2 lakh per month along with allowances, CHC doctors are paid only Rs 60,000 to Rs 65,000 as a fixed honorarium, without any additional benefits.

They further alleged that despite multiple orders directing that CHC doctors be treated at par with non-PG junior residents and granted Level-10 pay with allowances, the directive has yet to be implemented.

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Frustrated by working for over 90 days without being paid, the doctors appealed to the Health Minister Jayesh Pathak through a letter and highlighted their concerns.

In the letter, the doctors stated that those posted at CHCs, unlike those in medical colleges, do not receive any additional allowances, hostel, food, or transportation facilities, and are also being assigned night duties in remote rural areas.

They stated that there is no provision for accommodation for doctors posted at CHCs, forcing many doctors to commute between 25 to 100 kilometres daily to report for duty.

"There are no security guards or safety arrangements at CHCs. Outsiders can enter the centres at any time and create disputes. For women doctors, staying and working here is unsafe. Whereas in medical colleges, doctors get opportunities to learn under senior faculty, CHC postings do not provide this facility. This negatively impacts the professional growth of doctors," the letter reads.

Despite the challenges and limited facilities, the doctors alleged that they are not being paid properly, even after working for hours and in most cases covering the night shifts as well.

Referring to a government order in June 2025, which clearly stated that doctors posted at CHCs will be considered as non-PG junior residents and will be granted pay level-10 along with all allowances, the doctors claimed the Directorate General of Medical & Health Services has not issued any clear government order.

Now, they are urging the Directorate General of Medical & Health Services to issue a clear government order regarding the matter and ensure pay parity between bonded MBBS doctors posted at CHCs and non-PG junior residents in medical colleges.

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