SAS Nagar (Mohali): Veterinary services across SAS Nagar district came to a complete standstill on Tuesday after veterinary doctors suspended work in response to a call for a statewide protest by the Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay Parity. The agitation, part of a two-day state-level programme, has escalated pressure on the Punjab government over demands that have remained unresolved for several years.
All government veterinary hospitals, dispensaries and polyclinics in the district remained non-functional as doctors withdrew services. The protesting veterinarians are demanding restoration of pay parity with medical doctors, which they claim existed uninterrupted for over four decades, along with the implementation of the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) 4-9-14 scheme. Other key demands include restoration of house rent allowance on non-practicing allowance and payment of full salary during the probation period.
The doctors alleged that despite raising these issues consistently for nearly five years, the government has failed to take concrete action. On the first day of the protest, veterinarians gathered at district-level polyclinics and raised slogans against what they described as the government’s apathy towards their long-pending demands. As a symbolic gesture, they burnt copies of the Finance Department letter dated January 4, 2021, and the Animal Husbandry Department notification issued on January 12, 2021, which they claim disturbed the long-standing pay parity through unjustified measures.
Addressing the protesters, Joint Action Committee Co-Convener Dr Abdul Majeed, State Media In-charge Dr Gurinder Singh Walia, District President Dr Nitin Gautam and senior veterinarian Dr Gurnam Singh appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to personally intervene and resolve the matter without further delay.
The protest also received support from several senior and retired veterinary officers, including Dr Harpreet Toor, Dr Prem Kumar, Dr Lakhan Sachdeva, Dr Kuljotvir Singh, Dr Rana Preet Gill, Dr Ritu Arora and Dr Devinder Pal Singh. Retired officers Dr Madhukesh Palta, Dr Desh Deepak and Dr M.M. Singla were also present, along with a large number of serving veterinarians.
Warning of further escalation, the protesting doctors said the agitation would be intensified if the government continued to ignore their demands in the coming days.
