6th Pay Commission: Vets urge Punjab CM to accept doctors’ demands

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 28

The Senior Vets Association, a body of retired veterinarians, has rallied round government veterinary, medical, dental, ayurvedic and homoeopathic doctors, who were up in arms against the unjust treatment meted out to them by the implementation of the sixth Punjab Pay Commission report for past many days.

During a meeting of the body held here, Dr Gurinder Singh Walia, former joint director of the state Animal Husbandry Department and member of the Punjab State Veterinary Council, said: “It is really unfortunate that medical and veterinary doctors, who have always at the forefront during the pandemic, have been forced to hold a agitation due to the flawed policy of the government.”

Dr Walia stated that if the government really wanted to save money, there were other means ways to do it such as reducing unnecessary security of VIPs and complete taking over of mining, liquor, and transport businesses by the government.

Dr Nitin Kumar, former chief executive officer of the Punjab Gau Sewa Commission, said: “Government employees had been eagerly waiting for the Pay Commission report, expecting handsome hike in their salaries proportionate to inflation but the Commission fell short and NPA was reduced from 25 to 20 per cent with its delinking from the salary.”

He stressed that NPA had been granted to medicos and vets keeping in view the long period of study and late entry to service for past many years.

Dr Bimal Sharma, principal, Government Veterinary Polytechnic Kaljharani, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, expressed hope that the Oversight Committee of Ministers constituted to resolve the grievances of employees would fight for doctors.