The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on August 5 threatened to go on strike from August 7 if their stipend is not brought at par with that of resident doctors of Central institutes.

In a release, the association said Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan had promised a hike in the stipend amount earlier this year but nothing had happened since. MARD will withdraw from all services, including emergency ones, the release said.

"We were assured by state medical education minister Girish Mahajan on January 1 this year that stipend will be hiked with retrospective effect from August 2018. Except assurances, we have received nothing," said a MARD official. "Some institutes have not even paid stipend to doctors in the last four months citing unavailability of funds," she claimed.