Up in arms for not restoring pay parity, vets threaten agitation against state govt

Veterinarians have threatened to launch a stir against the state government against the delay in restoring pay parity.

The state executive of the joint action committee (JAC) of the veterinarians for pay parity will meet in Ludhiana on January 11 to chalk out the plan, media in-charge Dr Gurinder Singh Walia said here on Sunday.

He said despite assurances of the government prior to recently held elections, the pay parity of vets on a par with their counterparts in the Health Department, which was disturbed by the previous government, had not been restored till date.

The JAC had earlier planned to hold a protest march at Gidderbaha on November 10 to show resentment against the dithering by the state government but the same was called off following an assurance by it to fulfil their demand after the bypolls.

He said veterinary officers, senior veterinary officers, assistant directors, deputy directors, retired animal husbandry officers and students of the three veterinary colleges in the state were scheduled to reach Gidderbaha to hold the protest march but following the government’s assurance and the ongoing foot and mouth disease vaccination to livestock, the JAC had suspended the agitation in the interest of livestock farmers.

JAC convener Dr Gurcharan Singh flayed the government for adopting delaying tactics due to which the whole cadre of the vets was anguished.

He demanded that their over four-decade-old parity with medicos, which was accorded to them by virtue of the order of the High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court also, be restored with immediate effect.

JAC co-conveners Dr Puneet Malhotra, Dr Abdul Mazid, Dr Gurdeep Singh and Dr Harmandeep Singh said: “It is unfortunate on the part of the AAP government that it was ignoring genuine demand of the vets, due to which they were forced to resume their protest.”