The Demo Site

Threatening to resort to indefinite strike if the sixth pay commission recommendations are not implemented for them immediately, Veterinary teachers have accused the state government of adopting an indifferent approach towards their demand.

They also held few officers of Animal Husbandry Department responsible for putting stumbling blocks in the way of fulfillment of their demands. Veterinary teachers said that the state government should concede their demands before the winter session of the Assembly to show their commitment to Vidarbha in backdrop of the fact that Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU) is headquartered in Nagpur. Their anguish is understandable in view of the fact that the state government has to bear not a very significant financial burden as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research will meet 80 per cent of it. ICAR implemented the sixth pay commission in February 2009 itself but MAFSU and all four agricultural universities in the state are not in a position to implement them in view of the state governments inaction. The state government has already received the amount from the ICAR but veterinary teachers have still to cheer over the pay commission recommendations. Their pent up anger was very much visible at a meeting of Nagpur Veterinary College (NVC) Academic Staff Association on Friday. State has around 500 academic veterinary staffs while NVC Academic Staff Association alone represents nearly 100 teachers. President of the Association, S B Banubakode, Vice-President, A G Ganokar, Executive Member, B R Kolte, Joint Secretary, Ajay Gawande, Treasurer, Dr Limse, Dr V C Ingle, Dr A G Bhandarkar and Dr R N Shirbhate were also present on the occasion. Secretary of the Association, S.K. Sahatpure said that academic staffs under MAFSU are deprived of the sixth pay commission advantages though these benefits have been extended to every other university teacher ( Engineering, Medical, Dental, Ayurvedic and others). Academic staffs of agriculture colleges are also denied the sixth pay commission benefits. UGC resolution for implementation of sixth pay commission was received in December, 2008 itself. Meanwhile, State Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister, Dr Nitin Raut assured that he will look into the matter. MAFSU has sent a proposal in August this year to Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department for implementation of the pay commission recommendations. Earlier, state Animal Husbandry Secretary during his visit to NVC has given an assurance that the sixth pay commission would be recommended for them soon after the model code of conduct, which was enforced in view of Assembly election, comes to an end. Delegation of veterinary teachers have made several rounds of Animal Husbandry Department in Mantralaya but no progress has been made so far. Veterinary teachers said that only a cabinet nod is required for the implementation of the pay commission but the government has no time for the same, showing the governments ill treatment not only to the husbandry sector but also to the people associated with it.