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Punjab: Vets’ protest over pay parity enters second day
Veterinary services in Punjab halted as doctors protest for pay parity with medical professionals, demanding restoration of a 42-year-old scheme.
Veterinary services across Punjab came to a standstill on Wednesday as doctors entered the second day of a state-wide protest, demanding the restoration of pay parity with medical doctors.
Protesters, under the banner of the joint action committee of vets for pay parity, completely suspended operations within the animal husbandry department. This included services such as outpatient departments (OPD), laboratory tests, medicine, surgery, and obstetrics.
The protesters highlighted that pay parity with medical doctors had been maintained for over 40 years, dating back to 1977. This parity included the dynamic assured career progression (DACP) 4-9-14 scheme, which applied to both veterinary and medical doctors. However, they argued that the government’s 2021 decision to abolish the scheme violates previous orders from the Punjab and Haryana high court, as well as the Supreme Court of India.
The protesters further asserted that the government is ignoring established service rules and the fundamental principle of “equal qualification, equal work, equal pay.” Dr Gurdeep Singh, one of the protesters, said that they have held multiple meetings with the Punjab government, but to no avail.
Furthermore, the protesters noted that although the government issued a joint notification to grant a non-practicing allowance (NPA) to veterinary, medical, ayurvedic, and homeopathic doctors, veterinary doctors are being denied house rent allowance (HRA) on the NPA. They alleged that this constitutes “step-motherly treatment” by the authorities.
Dr Mukesh Gupta, leader of the protesting committee, urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to personally intervene and resolve the matter. The protesters are demanding the immediate restoration of the 42-year-old pay parity and the release of official notifications from the animal husbandry department to implement their full list of demands, including full pay during probation periods due to the specialised nature of their services.
