Hyderabad: Over 900 doctors working in rural services have not been paid their stipend for the last five months.

Senior residents from government and private medical colleges have thus issued a notice to the director of Health and Medical Education, warning that they will go on strike if not paid soon.

A senior doctor said, “The government of Telangana increased the stipend from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month but not a single penny has been paid yet.

The health department states that the budget for these salaries has not been cleared yet. The only answer we get every month is that the file is under process with the finance department.”

Ninety per cent of the serving doctors are married and are living with their spouses in their assigned areas. The agitated doctors even approached health minister C. Laxma Reddy, but he too has given the same excuse, about the file being with the finance department.