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Strike cripples animal healthcare services at Ludhiana’s GADVASU
The ongoing protest by the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University veterinary doctors and PAU teachers’ association has directly impacted services the animal healthcare and farmer service at both varsities
The ongoing protest by the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University veterinary doctors and PAU teachers’ association has directly impacted services the animal healthcare and farmer service at both varsities.
The out-patient department (OPD) and emergency services at the GADVASU veterinary hospital remained closed on the second consecutive day as experts maintained that service will be resumed only after their demands are met.
GADVASU’s teachers association president Kuldip Gupta said it was with a heavy heart that they had to close the OPD and emergency services to join the protest, adding, “We are pained at the inconvenience and hardship being faced by people. We share a special bond with the dairy farmers from across the state, we do not want to lose that trust.”
“But our demands are genuine and the state government is deliberately creating issues with our salary scales,” Gupta maintained.
Visitors left in lurch
Gurpreet Singh, who had travelled all the way from Mohali to have his pet dog’s fractured leg looked at, was in for disappointment after he was told that the OPD and emergency services at the hospital had been closed in view of the ongoing strike.
Speaking of his ordeal, Gurpreet said, “While government and GADVASU employees are at loggerheads it is the common man who is suffering. I have travelled 100 km for the treatment of my pet, but I do not know where to go for treatment.”
Similarly, many dairy farmers, who had visited looking to get their animals treated, returned dejected.
Besides, the teachers at both the universities have completely suspended teaching, extension and research activities in protest against the Punjab government. PAU Teachers Association (PAUTA) and GADVASU teachers’ association also held a protest in the campus against the undue delay in adoption of revised pay scales and revision of pensions by the State Government.
PAUTA president HS Kingra said the services will remain closed till the time state government will not implement seventh pay commission for PAU and GADVASU teachers and repeal the order of reducing the retirement age from 60 to 58.
