Guwahati, Nov 3 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday directed authorities of the health and family welfare department to take immediate steps for implementing time-scale promotion of serving doctors and filling up vacancies of medical practitioners in hospitals and health centres of the state. At a meeting with a delegation of Assam Medical Service Association (AMSA) here, the chief minister gave an assurance that the government will take a series of initiatives for the immediate fulfilment of their demands such as timely promotion, pay-parity, medical allowance, and filling up vacancies, an official release said. AMSA had launched a three-day Out Patient Department (OPD) boycott programme from November 1 demanding the fulfilment of various issues, including promotion and security of physicians and other medical staff. Sarma directed Health and Family Welfare department"s Principal Secretary Anurag Goel to work on cadre review of doctors, promotions and disparity in pay so that a decision can be taken very soon. He also informed the delegation that the government will ensure a pay hike for senior doctors with postgraduate degrees to address the issue of pay disparity among serving doctors. The chief minister also gave an assurance that the government will increase the number of seats, from the existing 23, for in-service doctors for pursuing a postgraduate degree in medical colleges of the state. PTI DG MM MM