Vets hold massive protest for restoration of Pay-Parity

Published on: 04 Nov 2025 at 10:11 AM

Published by: Gill Bikram

Fierce annoyance displayed against Govt’s apathy & false promises

Anti-Govt slogans echo in poll bound Tarn Taran

AAP Govt’s false people friendly rhetoric unmasked by Vets
Tarn taran, Nov 4

Venting their anger against the AAP government’s dithering to restore pay parity of Veterinary Doctors with Medical doctors, Veterinary doctors from across the state under aegis of ‘Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Vets for pay parity,’ here today, took out a massive protest march and staged a state-level ‘sit-in’, ahead of the by-election.
Veterinary Officers, Senior Veterinary Officers, Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors, and Retired Veterinary Doctors from every district of the state attended the protest in large numbers.
Leaders of the Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay-Parity present at the site stated that their main demands are the restoration of Pay-Parity with Medical Officers, which has been in place for the past 42 years, and the reinstatement of the 4, 9, 14 Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme.
During his address, the JAC Convener Dr. Gurcharan Singh accused the government of breaking a historical precedent, stating that “from 1978 to 2020, the salaries of Veterinary and Medical Officers were always equal. However, in January 2021, the previous government made an unfortunate decision, disregarding the orders of the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court of India, and service rules, by reducing the basic pay of Veterinary Doctors from ₹56,100 to ₹47,600”.
He further added that this unjustified move by the government has severely dented the morale of the veterinary fraternity, as their contribution to society has never been less than that of the medicos, which has been ratified by the Apex court also. When the whole world came to a standstill due to COVID outbreak in 2020, the government assigned duties to Veterinary Doctors similar to Medical Doctors, in which several Veterinary Doctors also lost their lives, he added. Furthermore, during the floods in 2025, which affected around 15 districts of Punjab, Veterinary Doctors, recognizing their duty to humanity, suspended their ongoing struggle against the government. They worked tirelessly day and night to provide invaluable services to the livestock farmers of Punjab, not only saving the livestock from the ravages of the floods but also preventing the spread of any disease across the entire state of Punjab, an action that earned much praise. All the above facts demonstrate the commitment and dedication of the Veterinary Doctors towards Punjab during difficult times. The Chief Minister eulogized the Veterinary Doctors in the Assembly, but their genuine demands are not being met.
In the struggle against the government, which started with protests outside all Deputy Director offices in Punjab from July 29, 2025, the Veterinary Doctors of Punjab also staged a massive state-level dharna and protest march on August 11, 2025, at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, to draw the AAP government’s attention to their role model. “However, it seems that the conscience of this government, wearing a mask of lies, has died and rotted”. People cannot expect welfare from a government that has such difference between its words and actions. That is why this massive protest march and dharna has been organized before the Tarn Taran by-election to unmask the AAP government and expose its real face, reminding this two-faced government of the promises it made .
Dr Gurcharan Singh questioned why the current Aam Aadmi Party government has not restored the 42-year-old Pay-Parity, which was deceitfully taken away by the former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal four and a half years ago, even after nearly three and three-quarter years in power. “Will the government still adhere to Manpreet Badal’s mindset?”
He asserted that the large number of Veterinary Doctors who enthusiastically attended this protest is a strong message to the government that the Vets of Punjab will not rest until their demands are met. The government’s slow and delaying tactics regarding their demands are now baseless. This dharna is a message to Chief Minister S Bhagwant Singh Mann that he should immediately intervene and resolve the demands of the Veterinary Doctors of Punjab.

The Co-Conveners Dr. Puneet Malhotra and Dr. Abdul Majid said that in many institutions, including Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, the Central Government, the Indian Army, and BSF etc, Veterinary Officers are being given the same salary and facilities as Medical Officers. Under these circumstances, Punjab is the only laggard state where this disparity has persisted since 2021. They added that there have been several meetings with the government over the past two years, and assurances were given, but no notification has been issued yet to end this disparity.
Media Advisor of the Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay-Parity, Dr. Gurinder Singh Walia, lamented that the government has left no option for the educated class of Veterinary Doctors, who diagnose and treat the illnesses of animals who can’t express, but to come out on the streets for ignoring their legitimate demands by the government.
Coordinator Dr. Tejinder Singh said that Veterinary Officers do not merely do paperwork in offices; they go village to village to treat animals, provide vaccinations, control diseases, and contribute to improving milk production, which is directly linked to the rural economy. He warned that if the government does not take immediate action and fulfill their demands, the struggle will be intensified, and the government itself will be responsible for the impact on the health of livestock and the income of farmers.
At the protest site, Veterinary Doctors were seen waving anti-government banners and placards. Many doctors questioned the policies of the previous and current governments in their speeches. Retired Veterinary Doctors also attended to encourage the young officers. The dharna was also addressed by VCI Member Dr. Amit Nain, Dr. Gurdeep Singh, Dr. Harman Josan, Dr. Vipindeep Brar, Dr. Sukhraj Bal, Dr. Sahil Bhindar, Dr. Jasleen Kaur, and Dr. Baljeet Singh.
At the conclusion of the protest march, a memorandum of demands was sent to the government, urging the immediate fulfillment of the demands.