Veterinary doctors submit mass resignation

Equal pay with MBBS doctors, reorganisation demanded

As many as 85 veterinary doctors in various departments of Mysore district, resigned en masse and submitted a memorandum demanding fulfilment of various demands at the office of deputy commissioner here on Saturday.

The doctors are on a pen down strike from September 11, as the government has not responded to their call for implementing the recommendations of Meera Naik Committee’s report.

The veterinarians are attending emergencies to avoid inconvenience to farmers. That apart, livestock census which scheduled to start on September 15 is cancelled. Speaking to media, president of Karnataka Veterinarians Association, Mysore chapter Dr P M Prasad Murthy said a memorandum is submitted to deputy commissioner and have told the authorities to approve their resignation on October 3, on failure of government fulfilling their demands within the time.

About 2000 doctors acrosss the State have submitted their resignation letters at respective DC offices.

The animal husbandry department was separated from agriculture department in 1945 and has witnessed no reorganisation since then. They urge the implementation of committee’s reports, which concentrates on restructuring of the department.

The demands included transfer process to be conducted by counselling, take appropriate measures to fill about 800 vacancies in the department and define role of the department in drought situation.

They alleged government of turning a deaf ear on demands of veterinarians. Many doctors retire without any promotion.

Dr Poornananda said that Rs five crore was earmarked for development of the department, following the recommendation of the committee, which has not been implemented until now.

He said that many youth veterinarians were attracted towards multi national companies, disliking the departmental job.

He said there is a wage discrimination between doctors of MBBS and veterinary. Veterinary doctors in Karnataka Milk Federation were only paid on par with other doctors.

Veterinary doctors were most exposed to life threatening diseases but are not provided with risk allowance, he added. He claimed that the contribution of the community in achievement of State’s dairy farming and poultry was important.

The doctors sarcastically said that because human life is valued and animal life is prices, there has been a wage difference between the doctors.

Vice president of association Dr Manjunath, secretary Dr Thimmaiah, member of central committee Dr Suresh, Dr Y D Rajanna, Dr Harish, Dr Anand, Dr Srinivas, Dr Rekha, Dr Muthuraj, Dr Anil, Dr Poornima and others were present.