This study of 81 rural and 96 urban private medical practitioners, which included 67 allopaths and 110 nonallopaths, was conducted to understand how patients of lung TB are diagnosed and treated in their clinics as well as their interactions with and perceptions regarding the public health services available for TB control. A majority of private doctors gave little importance to sputum examination and considered X-ray of the chest as the single most important diagnostic test for lung TB. They were neither aware of nor employed inexpensive standard regimens for treating their patients. While all private doctors used SCC in the treatment of lung TB, few regimens used by them conformed to the ones recommended under the NTP. Private doctors were aware of but sceptical about TB treatment available at public health facilities.