Dehradun – In an effort to attract medical professionals to the state’s remote districts, the Uttarakhand cabinet has unveiled a new pay matrix for resident doctors and demonstrators attached to government medical colleges. The revised structure adds a location‑based premium for postings in the hilly belt, where chronic understaffing has hampered service delivery.
Senior residents get a substantial boost
From today onward, senior residents posted in the mountains will draw ₹1.10 lakh per month, up from the earlier ₹90,000. Their counterparts on the plains will see their salary rise to ₹1.05 lakh, an increase from ₹84,000.
Junior residents also see higher wages
Junior residents assigned to hill stations will now be compensated with ₹85,000 a month, a jump from ₹76,000. Those serving in the low‑lying areas will receive ₹80,000, up from ₹71,000.
Demonstrators’ pay adjusted similarly
The cabinet extended the same differential to demonstrators. In mountainous postings, their monthly remuneration will climb to ₹85,000 (previously ₹76,000), while demonstrators on the plains will earn ₹80,000 instead of ₹71,000.
Why the extra allowance?
Officials explain that the higher salary for hill assignments is meant to make these posts more appealing, thereby closing the long‑standing vacancy gap in Uttarakhand’s public hospitals. The uplift is also expected to improve retention of residents in medical colleges, strengthening both patient care and academic programmes.
Current staffing figures show the state’s government medical colleges employ 251 junior residents, 246 senior residents, and 134 demonstrators. The new pay scales will translate into a noticeable rise in monthly earnings for each of these groups.
Tackling the doctor shortage
The announcement comes amid ongoing worries about insufficient doctor numbers in public health facilities, especially in the high‑altitude districts where many departments operate below sanctioned strength. By offering a financial incentive, the government hopes to persuade more physicians to accept or continue hill‑area postings, easing the burden on understaffed hospitals.
Alongside 23 other proposals covering development, education, governance and public services, the salary revision was highlighted as a cornerstone measure to reinforce Uttarakhand’s healthcare delivery system.
