Srinagar, Sep 16: The peaceful strike by veterinary interns at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-Kashmir, entered its 10th consecutive day on Wednesday, with students continuing to demand a revision of their internship stipend.
Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Bandipora Nizam Uddin Bhat visited the protest site at SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Ganderbal, and interacted with the protesting students.
Bhat acknowledged the concerns raised by the interns and said that the existing stipend of Rs 6,000 per month was very low. He assured the students that he would personally take up the matter with Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar and said that his party would also raise the issue in the upcoming Assembly session.
Speaking at the protest site, the MLA said veterinary doctors were an important segment of society and played a significant role in animal health, production and allied sectors.
“We have not come here to create any drama. These are our children and an important segment of our society who provide services in the productive sector after undergoing a lot of struggle,” he said.
Bhat said Jammu and Kashmir, being a Union Territory, may have limitations, but that should not prevent the professionals from seeking support from the Union Government for their sector. “I feel, after sitting with these young people, that the government is showing some indifference towards them. Their demands are justified in many ways,” he said.
The MLA highlighted the role of veterinary doctors in animal health, pasture development, forest conservation, environmental protection and the production of meat and milk.
“Society depends on their hard work and services. Ignoring them in this manner is unfair,” he said, but added that he was not seeking to burden the government but was making a suggestion in support of the protesting interns. “I am not trying to be critical. I am trying to be suggestive. They deserve support,” the MLA said.
Jammu & Kashmir Veterinary Students Association (JKVSA) president Saqlain Rashid said a student delegation had recently met Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar, who informed them that the university had earlier submitted a stipend proposal directly to the Finance Department instead of the Agriculture Production Department (APD).
“Following the meeting, the minister directed the university to prepare and submit a fresh proposal to the APD for further consideration,” Rashid said.
Meanwhile, the protest continued peacefully for the 10th day. The interns reiterated that they would continue their agitation until they received a written, time-bound assurance regarding revision of the veterinary internship stipend, similar to the assurance provided during the MBBS interns’ protest—(KNO)
