MOHALI: In a state level executive meeting of the Punjab Senior Vets Association, held here today, Member Punjab State Veterinary Council and former Joint Director Animal Husbandry Punjab Dr Gurinder Singh Walia and former Chief Executive Officer of Punjab Gau Sewa Commission Dr Nitin Kumar Gupta urged the Punjab Chief Minister Mr Bhagwant Singh Mann to restore parity of Veterinary Officers with Medical and Dental Officers, which had been in place for the last over 40 years and was secured following a judgement of Hon'ble Punjab and Haryana High Court. They alleged that the parity had been disturbed by the previous government, due to a Clerical mischief, when it was on the verge of way out.
Dr Walia requested the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to intervene in the matter to ensure justice for the Veterinary fraternity and also take action against the Finance Department employees who had misled the government to reduce their scale with complete disregard to the recommendations of successive Pay commissions and Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment in this issue.
It's pertinent to mention here that Veterinary Officers, under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Pay Parity, have been protesting since 25th June under which Artificial Insemination in cattle, buffaloes and all extension & other camps are being boycotted besides some central schemes.
Former Director Animal Husbandry Punjab Dr Sanjeev Khosla, former Joint Director Dr N P Thaman and Dr Desh Deepak Goyal pointed out that disillusioned with lowering of salary and dithering by Punjab government on notifying 4-9-14 Dynamic Assured Career Progression scheme(DACP), many Veterinary officers were seeking VRS ( Voluntary Retirement Scheme) and emigrating to foreign countries where their skill is duly recognized and adequately compensated not only in government but in private sector also.
They added that livestock sector had great potential to boost the economy of farmers and the Veterinarians were connected with them at grassroot level, hence they could play pivotal role in uplifting the rural economy.