KHATKAR KALAN: The Veterinary doctors from Punjab's Animal Husbandry Department across the State, assembled in large numbers at the birthplace of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, here today, for a major 'state-level protest and march'. Veterinary Officers, Senior Veterinary Officers, Assistant and Deputy Directors from nearly every district of the state converged here to register their protest, especially to remind the government that it was disregarding the 'youth icon Bhagat Singh' who was a protagonist of social justice, by denying justice to the Veterinarians of the State.
Leaders from the 'Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay Parity' (JAC) stated that their main demands are the restoration of pay parity with medical officers, which has been in place for over 42 years, and the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) after 4, 9 and 14 years of service.
Addressing the gathering, JAC convener Dr Gurcharan Singh accused the government of a historical and gross injustice. He explained that from 1978 to 2020, the salaries of veterinary and medical officers were always equal and successive Pay commissions had maintained the parity. However, in January 2021, the previous Congress government unilaterally decided to reduce their starting salary from ₹56, 100 to ₹47, 600. Dr. Singh noted that this was not only a salary cut but also a violation of decisions made by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
He added that this unfair action has severely demoralized the veterinary community, whose contributions to society are no less than those of the medical community.
Dr. Singh further stated that the protest was meant to remind the government of Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh's ideals and to question why the current Aam Aadmi Party government has failed to restore the 42-year-long pay parity that was taken away by the previous Congress government's Finance Minister, Manpreet Badal, four and a half years ago. He asked if the current government would continue to follow Badal's or Bhagat Singh's ideology.
He asserted that the large turnout of veterinary doctors sends a clear message to the government: they will not rest until their demands are met. He declared that the government's delaying tactics and lax strategy regarding their demands have become baseless. This protest is a direct message to Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann, urging him to intervene immediately and resolve the veterinary doctors' demands, he added.
Co-conveners Dr. Puneet Malhotra and Dr. Abdul Majid pointed out that veterinary officers in UTs Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Haryana, the Central Government, the Indian Army, BSFand many other States receive equal pay and benefits as medical officers. Punjab is the only state where this disparity has existed since 2021. They added that despite numerous meetings and assurances from the government over the past two years, no official notification has been issued to address this inequality.
Committee coordinator Dr. Tejinder Singh emphasized that veterinary officers do more than just paperwork; they travel to villages to treat and vaccinate animals, control diseases, and improve milk production, directly contributing to the rural economy. He warned that if the government does not act immediately to meet their demands, the protest will be intensified. He stated that the government would be solely responsible for any negative impact on animal health and farmers' incomes.
Dr Gurinder Singh Walia, Media Advisor JAC said that successive Pay commissions either maintain the pay scales vis-a-vis other similar categories in their recommendations or increase the scales, but it's first time in history that the salary of a category has been reduced by mere letter issued by Finance department without any rationale. He urged the CM Punjab to address this important issue on top priority to offset the injustice done to Vets of the State.
Later, the leaders of JAC led by convenor Dr Gurcharan Singh, paid tributes to Sardar Bhagat Singh by laying wreaths at statue of the martyr.
The protest featured anti-government slogans, banners, and placards. Several doctors gave speeches questioning the policies of both the previous and current governments. Retired veterinary doctors also attended to show their support for the younger officers.
At the end of the protest, a joint memorandum was sent to the government, demanding that their requests be fulfilled.