Tarn Taran (Punjab): Hundreds of veterinary doctors from across Punjab staged a large-scale protest and state-level sit-in in Tarn Taran on Sunday under the banner of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Vets for Pay Parity. The protestors demanded the immediate restoration of pay parity with Medical Officers and the reinstatement of the 4, 9, 14 Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme.
Veterinary Officers, Senior Veterinary Officers, Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors, and retired doctors from all districts participated in the demonstration, held just days before the Tarn Taran by-election.
Addressing the gathering, JAC Convener Dr. Gurcharan Singh accused the Punjab government of violating a 42-year-old precedent by reducing the basic pay of Veterinary Officers from ₹56,100 to ₹47,600 in January 2021. “From 1978 to 2020, the pay scales of Veterinary and Medical Officers were identical, as affirmed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court. This sudden downgrade has demoralized the entire veterinary community,” he said.
Dr. Singh emphasized that veterinary professionals had been at the frontline during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2025 floods, protecting livestock and preventing disease outbreaks. “Despite receiving praise from the Chief Minister in the Assembly, our long-pending demands are still ignored,” he added.
The JAC leadership criticized the Aam Aadmi Party government for “failing to deliver on its commitments” despite repeated assurances. “This protest, ahead of the by-election, exposes the government’s hypocrisy,” Dr. Singh said, urging Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to personally intervene in the matter.
Co-conveners Dr. Puneet Malhotra and Dr. Abdul Majid pointed out that Veterinary Officers in states like Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Odisha — as well as in central institutions such as the Indian Army and the BSF — enjoy the same pay and benefits as Medical Officers. “Punjab is the only state where this disparity continues,” they said.
Media Advisor Dr. Gurinder Singh Walia said that the government had pushed highly qualified veterinary professionals to the streets, while Coordinator Dr. Tejinder Singh warned that if their demands were not met soon, the agitation would escalate, potentially affecting livestock health and farmers’ livelihoods.
The protest concluded with the submission of a memorandum to the Punjab government, urging the immediate restoration of pay parity and the reimplementation of the DACP scheme.
