Either you serve for 5 yrs or Pay Rs one cr

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

Strange but true, to ensure doctor presence in remote areas of the state, Uttarakhand government has decided to increase the penalty amount for the MBBS doctor, who get admission on subsidised government quota in medical college. This would be applicable from upcoming 2018-2019 academic session.

With this decision, the MBBS students securing admission on the subsidised government quota seats will have to pay Rs one crore as penalty if they break the bond agreement that requires compulsory service in the hilly areas.

The increase in penalty amount from Rs 30 lakh to Rs one crore has been approved by the Department of Medical Education for the new academic session i.e. 2018-19.

Talking to media, Department of Medical Education Director Dr Ashutosh Sayana said that as part of deterrent action, the penalty amount has been increased for MBBS doctor,  who studies at subsidised government rate from opting out of the agreement by paying the penalty fee, which is too less.

Those opting for the bond agreement had to compulsorily serve in the hilly areas for a period of five years. But things did not turn out the way the government was hoping for as most of the students renegade on the agreement, while others opted out of the bond by paying the penalty. “We were left with very few students serving in the hilly areas. Hopefully, with the hefty penalty things may turn out differently,” said Sayana. Recently, instead of serving in the hilly areas, two doctors from the batch of 2010 and 2012 preferred to opt out of the bond agreement by depositing the penalty amount.