Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced a hike in stipend for MBBS and non-service post graduate students as the strike by PG medicos in government run medical colleges in the state entered the third day.
The hike would cost the state exchequer Rs 9.60 crore annually.
A government press release on Saturday said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had sanctioned the hike on July 3, paving the way for increased stipend amount.
The stipend of second year PG (specialisation) students has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 16,000 while first year students will get Rs 5,500 more than the existing stipend of Rs 9,500.
Fifth year students of Neurology would also now get a sum of Rs 16,000 against the earlier Rs 10,000, the release said.
The stipend of students of MBBS, non-service PG students and others have been hiked, the release said while expressing hope that it was "now expected" that the students would withdraw their strike.