Patiala, April 12 -- Protesting nurses in Punjab have temporarily called off their strike and announced they will resume duty from Sunday after an assurance from health minister Dr Balbir Singh regarding their demands. The decision came after an hour-long meeting between the health minister and representatives of the protesting nurses on Saturday. During the meeting, the minister assured them that their demand for revision of pay scales would be taken up in a scheduled meeting with finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on April 16. The agitation by regular nurses has been ongoing since March 26 over a long-standing pay anomaly affecting those recruited on or after July 17, 2020. The union claims that nearly 1,500 nurses are currently receiving about Rs.29,000 per month under a Rs.2,800 grade pay structure. They are demanding an upgrade to Rs.4,600 grade pay, which would increase their salary to approximately Rs.44,900, along with reclassification of their posts from Grade C to Grade B. The strike had affected healthcare services at major institutions, including Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala, Government Medical College, Amritsar, and Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali, where a large section of nursing staff had joined the protest, impacting patient care. Confirming the development, United Nurses Association president Ramanjit Singh Gill said the strike has been temporarily withdrawn but warned that agitation would resume if the government fails to deliver a concrete resolution at the April 16 meeting....