LUDHIANA: The Punjab Senior Vets Association in an emergency meeting held here today strongly condemned the newly formed Himachal Pradesh government for its ill-conceived decision to withdraw the facility of Non Practicing Allowance to the medical doctors, Veterinarians, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic doctors to be appointed in future in HP.
Dr Gurinder Singh Walia, Member Punjab State Veterinary Council and former Joint Director Animal Husbandry Punjab said that this decision of HP government was bad in law and would not stand scrutiny of court. Moreover, facility of NPA was granted to doctors to compensate them for their longer study period, late entry to service and to prevent brain drain. Already medical and Vet doctors were immigrating to foreign countries due to lack of facilities here and stepmotherly treatment with them by bureaucracy. This step, Dr Walia averred , would sound deathnell for health and Animal Husbandry services in the state which was already facing shortage of doctors.
Dr Nitin Kumar former CEO Punjab Gau Sewa Commission, Dr Sanjeev Khosla former Director Animal Husbandry Punjab, Dr Bimal Sharma, Principal Government Veterinary Polytechnic, Kaljharani , Dr Desh Deepak Goyal former Deputy Director Statistics and Dr KPS Pasricha former Deputy Director Poultry development expressed solidarity with Himachal doctors of different streams who were up against the government for withdrawal of NPA facility to Veterinary and Medical doctors recruited henceforth. All executive members of Senior Vets Association resolved to stand by their counterparts in neighboring state of HP and to take up their case at every possible stage.
Meanwhile, Dr Walia urged the Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to see reason and direct the Finance Department to withdraw the impugned notification.