Staff of Vety office, hospitals, dispensaries threaten to stir
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 25 2021:
All Manipur Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Field Assistant Employees' Union has cautioned Veterinary and Animal Husbandry minister of launching intense agitations if the director in-charge of the department, who has been appointed allegedly in violation of service rules, is not removed immediately and replaced by a competent department officer as the new director.
According to a letter written to the minister by the Union general secretary Ch Ashok, service of the former director of the department superannuated on February 28 and subsequently, retired from the post.
However, despite the presence of a regular officer in the Feed Grade Joint Director- MVS- Grade II level, an IAS officer was appointed as the Commissioner and Director incharge of the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department, which is against the service rules.
As such, a meeting of the Union was convened against the appointment on May 9 at the Veterinary complex near Sanjenthong.
The Veterinary Department is a technical department and all its officers are professional graduates.
In addition, the officers are registered as veterinary practitioners to the Manipur State Veterinary Council formed under the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984.Furthermore, the officers fall under the organised sector in accordance with The Manipur Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services Rules, 1994 .
Thus, the post of a director (MVS Grade-I) should be held by a post-graduate or a joint director who has completed diploma in veterinary sciences.
All activities/works of the department are to be taken up from the grassroots level by veterinary graduates with field experiences, post graduate diploma holders and through their subordinate staff.
Thus, the order of the government appointing a non-technical officer as the head of the department on March 11 is a step in the wrong direction and an injustice.
In the past, there have been instances where those in lower ranks such as deputy director or in similar posts were appointed as director in-charge after assessing their technical abilities and professional ethics.
Therefore, the Union cautioned of shutting down the veterinary offices, hospitals and dispensaries in the state if the government fails to issue an order appointing a competent officer as the director as soon as possible.