Demanding pay parity, Ludhiana veterinary officers begin 15-day protest

Demanding pay parity, the veterinary officers gathered outside the office of the deputy director, animal husbandry, located near the vigilance office in Ludhiana and raised slogans against the state government.

Veterinary officers of the animal husbandry department on Tuesday began their 15-day state-wide protest against the government’s decision to reduction in the basic pay as compared to medical officers of the health department.

Veterinary officers of the animal husbandry department during the protest in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

The protest will continue till February 21. The decision to launch the protest was taken by convener of the joint action committee (JAC) of veterinary officers Rajinder Singh and co-convener Gurcharan Singh Walia for pay parity after a meeting of the state executive.

The veterinary officers gathered outside the office of the deputy director, animal husbandry, located near the vigilance office and raised slogans against the government.

The protesting veterinarians said that the previous Congress government had disrupted the long-standing pay parity of veterinary officers with medical officers by reducing the basic pay scale of veterinary officers from ₹56,100 to ₹47,600.

Parshotam Singh, who is district organiser of JAC, said that governments have not paid heed to their grievances and they have decided to launch the protest.

“They asserted that the issue of pay parity with medical officers was not just an economic issue but it relates to the honour, social status and dignity of the entire veterinary profession,” Singh said.

JAC co-convener Walia said that during this protest, memorandums will be given to the government through deputy directors of the animal husbandry department. He said that the protest will be intensified if the government does not pay heed to the issue.