Cuttack, March 16: The All-Orissa House Surgeons’ Association (AOHSA) today decided to call off their 44-day-long agitation following a hike in their monthly stipend from Rs 8,640 to Rs 13,335.

The house surgeons in the three medical college hospitals of the state had been donning black badges on duty since February 19 as part of their agitation for a hike in stipend. They expected a hike with effect from the date of joining of the 2010-11 batch.

“We decided to call off our agitation from tomorrow as the government has addressed our demand,” Sambit Jena, president of the M.K.C.G. Medical College and Hospital House Surgeons’ Association told The Telegraph.

The AOHSA, representing 315 house surgeons of the S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital (Cuttack), the M.K.C.G Medical College and Hospital (Berhampur) and the V.S.S. Medical College and Hospital (Burla) had demanded a hike in monthly stipend from Rs 8,640 to Rs 15,000.