Stipend hiked for medical interns but not at par with Central institutes

The interns,who get a stipend of Rs 1,950 per month — last fixed in 1998 — had been demanding stipends at par with interns in central government hospitals.

While rejecting this demand,the government said the increase it had effected was proportionate to the increase in the stipend of interns in central government hospitals since 1998.

Other decisions
* Five per cent entry tax on CNG imposed. However,it will be exempt from VAT if the amount was not more than the entry tax.

* Subsidy scheme for solar water heaters extended for two more years to promote the use of such heaters in the domestic sector. The scheme was introduced in 2008-09.

* Ceiling on the cost of construction of houses to be built under the Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) schemes lifted in view of the increasing cost of building materials and wages. The limit was Rs 1.5 lakh for BSUP and Rs 1.0 lakh for IHSDP houses.