The Veterinary Students’ Union once again resumed their OPD services on Sunday at the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU)’s veterinary hospital after the cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora assured them of a meeting with the principal secretary finance.
The indefinite strike by the union entered its eleventh day on Sunday, with interns continuing their peaceful protest at the university’s veterinary hospital premises.
The union has been demanding a revision of the internship stipend from ₹15,000 to ₹24,310, citing significant discrepancies compared to stipends offered to interns in other veterinary universities and medical and dental colleges across Punjab. At present, the stipend is jointly funded by the university and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), with no financial contribution from the state government.
Outpatient department (OPD) services at the university’s clinics had been suspended since 9.00 am on Saturday, though emergency services remained operational to ensure uninterrupted patient care.
On Saturday evening, a delegation from the union met with rural development and panchayat minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Mundian, both of whom expressed support for the students’ demands and assured assistance in facilitating a meeting with the finance minister for an expedited resolution.
The union further emphasised that if the state government is unable to provide the necessary financial support, the institution should be centralised to enable direct funding from the Central government. Reiterating their commitment to non-violent protest, the union stated that the agitation will be intensified if the matter remains unresolved in the coming days.
{{/usCountry}}The union further emphasised that if the state government is unable to provide the necessary financial support, the institution should be centralised to enable direct funding from the Central government. Reiterating their commitment to non-violent protest, the union stated that the agitation will be intensified if the matter remains unresolved in the coming days.
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