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Ludhiana: Demanding pay parity, vets to conduct rallies across Punjab
The protesting vets said the previous administration disrupted the long-standing 45-year pay equity between veterinary and medical officers, but the current Punjab government is yet to rectify this situation
Veterinary officers of the animal husbandry department have announced to intensify their state-wide protest against the government’s decision of reducing the basic pay as compared to medical officers of the health department.
The protesting vets said the previous administration disrupted the long-standing 45-year pay equity between veterinary and medical officers, but the current government is yet to rectify this situation.
As per a written press statement from Rajinder Singh, convener of the joint action committee (JAC) of vets for pay parity, and co-convener Gurcharan Singh, following a state-level meeting, it was revealed that the current protest campaign will be intensified during the second phase.
The JAC has planned to conduct zonal rallies across Punjab to raise public awareness about the government’s negative stance towards its employees. The first rally is scheduled to take place in Patiala on March 12, as a starting point, added Rajinder Singh.
At the same time, a state-level delegation comprising a large number of individuals will present a memorandum to the minister of animal husbandry, the finance minister, and the principal secretary of the department.
The JAC office bearers further elaborated that the pay disparity issue dates back to the previous Congress government, which lowered the entry scale of veterinary officers from 56,100 to 47,600, resulting in a disturbance of the longstanding pay parity between veterinary officers and medical officers. They highlighted that this issue is not only economic in nature, but it also concerns the dignity and status of the entire veterinary profession.
In a separate resolution, the JAC has expressed its strong support for the ongoing struggle by the teachers of GADVASU and PAU for the implementation of the UGC pay scales.
