Chandigarh, July 25 -- Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday announced a hike in monthly stipends for interns, junior residents and senior residents serving in government medical and dental colleges across the state. According to an official release, the stipend for medical interns has been increased from Rs.15,000 to Rs.22,000 per month. Junior residents will now get Rs.76,000 in the first year, Rs.77,000 in the second year and Rs.78,000 in the third year, up from the current uniform stipend of Rs.67,968. Senior residents will see their stipend rise from Rs.81,562 to Rs.92,000 in the first year, Rs.93,000 in the second year and Rs.94,000 in the third year. Currently, the Punjab's government medical and dental colleges have 907 sanctioned posts for interns, 1,408 for junior residents and 754 for senior residents. Cheema said the annual expenditure on stipends will rise from the existing Rs.204.96 crore to Rs.238.18 crore, marking an annual increase of Rs.33.22 crore. Reiterating the government's focus on public welfare, the finance minister also referred to the recent Rs.10 lakh insurance cover initiative for every citizen, underlining the state's efforts to bolster healthcare infrastructure and services....