Odisha Veterinary Doctors Threaten Mass Leave From Jan 4 Next Year

Bhubaneswar: The veterinary doctors in Odisha have threatened to go on mass leave, if the state government fails to meet their demands by January 4.

Speaking to media persons in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, secretary of the Odisha Veterinary Service Association (OVSA) Shankarshan Mahunta said though they have been demanding pay and career progression at par with allopathic doctors for a long time, the government has failed to take any step in this regard.

He said their other demands including cadre restructuring and transformation of the service delivery system in the veterinary department have also remained unattended till date.

In order to draw the attention of the government, the veterinary doctors wore black badges to duty in February. But it failed to elicit any response from the government. If the government fails to meet the demands, the members of the Association across the state will go on mass leave from January 4, he added.

“It is surprising that while the government has been stressing on improvement in the healthcare sector, the veterinary service has remained neglected. Since the government has remained indifferent to our demands for a long time, we will be forced to resort to mass agitation,” Mahunta said.