Vets to go on mass leave from Wednesday

BHUBANESWAR: Veterinarians in the State have decided to go on mass leave from Wednesday protesting the State Government’s apathy towards them. Besides, students of Odisha Veterinary College have decided to boycott classes for an indefinite period from tomorrow. The trainee doctors, comprising final year veterinary students and those undergoing housemanship, will also abstain from duty at the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex. Under the aegis of Odisha Veterinary Association, the veterinarians and veterinary students have been agitating since the beginning of March demanding salary and work benefits on par with that of general medicine practitioners, service regularisation of vets who were appointed on contractual basis, regular appointment through Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) and pay hike as per the Sixth Pay Commission.Veterinary doctors and students alleged that absence of regular jobs in the profession had forced many fresh graduates to join banking and insurance sectors.Regular recruitment of veterinary graduates through OPSC had been stopped by the State Government since 2008. This despite the fact that 244 regular posts of assistant veterinary surgeons are lying vacant.