SC ‘upholds’ Uttarakhand high court verdict on AYUSH & allopathy doctors

NAINITAL: Upholding Uttarakhand high court's earlier judgment on "equal pay for AYUSH and allopathy doctors", the Supreme Court (SC), while "quashing" the state government's special leave petition (

SLP

) on Thursday, stated that "both AYUSH and allopathic doctors are entitled to equal pay, and any discrimination between doctors on grounds of treatment is a violation of Article 14.”

The SC division bench gave the order during the final hearing of SLP relating to the "

State of Uttarakhand versus

Dr Sanjay Singh Chauhan" matter.

According to the case, the state had in 2012 appointed both allopathic and AYUSH doctors as medical officers through the same selection process for "Rs 25,000/month, with 5% annual increment". Later, “the salary of only allopathic doctors was increased to Rs 50,000/month, with 5% annual increment. AYUSH doctors were left without an equal pay hike.”

AYUSH doctors challenged the "discrimination" in Uttarakhand HC, which held that "both types of doctors were entitled to equal pay”. Dr

Kartikey Hari Gupta

, counsel for AYUSH doctors in the SC, said the state government had made special representations before the SC and had stated that "both the doctors treat differently and the work of allopathic doctors is more serious and important".