In Ludhiana, members of the Veterinary Students’ Union went on strike in protest of their internship pay not being increased. Declaring that the government has been ignoring their demands for months, they staged a protest march on the university campus.
The Union’s vice president, Dr Kamalpreet Singh, claims that after meeting with a number of ministers over the past three months, they have only gotten assurances and no real action. According to him, the students will not stop protesting until their stipend is raised.
In addition to matching the stipends provided in nearby states like Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, the students are calling for an increase in their stipend to make it equal to that of MBBS and BDS interns in Punjab. Despite the strenuous nature of their internship, which involves delivering 24-hour emergency services, they have noted that their current stipend is far smaller.
Punjab receives a smaller stipend than Haryana and Rajasthan.
They claimed that rather than begging, the students are requesting their rights. “Why can’t we receive more allowance than Punjab if Haryana and Rajasthan can? Why are we being treated so unfairly if the government charges less in Rajasthan and Haryana than in Punjab?
Dr Kamalpreet Singh questioned why veterinary physicians were treated this way when MBBS physicians were given allowances of up to $22,000. Veterinarians are just as important as human doctors, according to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann himself. The government is ignoring us even at that point.
Veterinary doctors are given preference by governments overseas, but Punjab does not have a hearing. We should be receiving ₹24,310 in allowance, but we are only receiving ₹15,000. We shall not give up until our demands are fulfilled.
Be the first to comment