Veterinary Doctors & Students Strike Continues, Animal Care Hit In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Veterinary doctors are on mass leave for more than three weeks in protest against the negligence and step-motherly attitude of the Odisha government towards them.

In the absence of doctors at the veterinary centres, scores of people are forced to return home without getting any treatment for their sick pets.

The doctors have been on strike since January 18 demanding pay and career progression on par with allopathic doctors and there’s no sign of negotiation with the government.  Poultry and dairy farm owners are bearing the brunt as livestock healthcare service has completely derailed.

The other demands of the veterinary doctors, striking under the aegis of Odisha Veterinary Service Association (OVSA), are cadre restructuring and transformation of the service delivery system in the veterinary department.

Students of College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) are also on an indefinite strike since January 30. They are demanding an upgrade of their institution to a university and an increase in their stipend. They alleged that the government has not taken any step yet even after three years of the Cabinet approval for setting up a veterinary university. Because of the delay, students are forced to go outside the state for specialised courses, they said.

Many students, who are on hunger strike, have reportedly been hospitalised. “Students are fainting. What if they die? Can’t the government tell us once to withdraw the stir and give assurance to fulfil our demands?” a student asked.