Faridkot
About 500 veterinary inspectors, appointed under Zila Parishads in Civil Veterinary hospitals in 2006 are boycotting the lumpy skin disease vaccination.
“As we have not been regularized for about 17 years, we have decided to boycott the administration of any kind of vaccination drive for the past 8 months. We are working on a meagre pay of Rs 11000 per month and are still on yearly contract,” said Balraj Singh, state president of Punjab Veterinary Pharmacists union from district Faridkot.
“In 2006, the then Punjab government had launched a scheme to revive the allegedly dead civil veterinary hospitals under zila parishads and a monthly contract amount of Rs 32000 was given to the veterinary officer, out of which, he had to hire one veternery pharmacist and one peon. Then we were being paid about Rs 3500 per month and peon was getting Rs 2000 .But in 2011, the government took the veterinary officers into the department of animal husbandry, while we were left out, on contract,” said Balraj Singh.
He said that their appointments were made by the veterinary officers and other officials after the advertisement of the posts verifying all our educational qualifications and other academic certificates.
“But later on, as we had passed our two years diploma of veterinary pharmacist from a Rajasthan based deemed university, making a technical ground, our services were not regularized .We have been running from pillar to post for the past 17 years. During all these years, our monthly salary has just risen from Rs 3500 to 11000 while we do the work equal to the veterinary inspectors appointed in regular pay scale. They get about Rs 30000 for the same, three fold than us,” said Balraj Singh.
He said that peons appointed in the same hospitals managed to get DC rates afterwards and are drawing almost equal salary to us.
Balraj further alleged that even the Bhagwant Mann led government also appointed about 668 new veterinary inspectors in 2022, including about 35 from other states, but our cases are not considered.
“If there was a technical issue, why were our appointments made and then annual contracts renewed?" asks Balraj,if this is the case, even the senior officers of the department are also responsible. But now we are being exploited,” Balraj alleged.
He alleged that they had again to run after the officials of the animal husbandry besides ministers to have our annual contracts renewed every year which expire on March 31.
According to him, Faridkot has 13 such hospitals which are affected by our boycott.
"Other teams are filling up the gap from other hospitals, we are not giving the vaccination," said Balkar(name changed), another VP.
“While our appointments were made in 582 hospitals, in some of the hospitals only veterinary pharmacists were performing their duties because the posts of the veterinary officers were vacant,” he said.
Baltej Singh claimed that earlier we had withdrawn our boycott due to the call of farmers' union during the outbreak of LSD last year.
“But we are firm on our stand this time, our union members would not participate in the LSD vaccination drive,” he said.
They alleged that the DAh is using pressure tactics, but it will not work now.
The director speak
Dr Ram Pal Mittal, director, animal husbandry,when contacted by PunjabTribune.com said that they are duty bound to do everything as per their contracts.
"The government is taking very serious note of their boycott. whenever there is some vaccination drive, they boycott it.It is illegal and action will be taken against them by the government," said Dr Mittal.
About their demand for regularization of jobs, he said that it was the prerogative of the government.
Sukhpal Khaira tweets
"Some government ignores opposition, but I urge@bhagwant mann to listen to aap MLA Sarbjeet kaur who is pleading 582 veterinary pharmacists who joined services in 2006 @3500pl stipendet may kindly be given regular jobs.I hpe CM will listen to his MLA and have pity on this youth.