Jharkhand Covid warrior Para-Vets have not got wages for 10 months

Ranchi: Time and again Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has expressed concern over the issue of employment of Jharkhand’s people, but officials act otherwise.

Three Covid warriors (Para-veterinarians) who hail from the native place of Jharkhand’s Animal and Husbandry minister Badal Patralekh’s district, Deoghar, have not got their wages for ten months now. It includes the lockdown period from March 2020 to December 2020.

The trained Para Vets, Anis Hashmi, Gundhar Das and Puran Kumar Raut, are posted at animal husbandry hospitals in different blocks of Deoghar district.

“I had joined in September 2019 as Para-veterinarian and from September to February 2020, I got my wages. But from March onwards, which was the Covid induced lockdown period, we are not being given our wages. We put our and our family’s lives at risk and did our duty during the lockdown. But instead of appreciation and confirming our employment, our wages have been stopped,” Hashmi told eNewsroom.

Now they have written to the chief minister, Jharkhand, Minister of Animal Husbandry Badal Patralekh and Secretary, Animal Husbandry. They also attached their joining letters in the joint petition.

“The chief minister (Hemant Soren) talks about giving employment, but the district officials are treating us otherwise. They want to throw us out of our jobs. In all these hospitals there is no veterinary staff or assistant and these centers are running because of para vets like us,” Anis added.

While Gunadhar Das said, “Since the new DAHO (district animal husbandry officer) Dr Sanjay Kumar joined, our wages have been stopped. We have also got information that there is allotment to pay our wages. Despite that we are not being paid.”

In their letters, the three para vets mentioned that they have written and requested the district veterinary officer to release their wages, but the officer did not act.

Because of the non-payment of wages, the economic conditions of all these families is precarious, and, on March 21, Raut lost his father.

“My father was under treatment at Medanta, Ranchi, but because of lack of money I had to bring him to Madhupur.  He could not get the required treatment here and passed away,” rued Raut.

When eNewsroom, contacted Secretary, Animal Husbandry department Aboobacker Siddiqui, he told to contact Director Nancy Sahay, who was in the meeting and promised to call back, but the call did not come.

After the publication of the news, Director Animal Husbandry Nancy Sahay called eNewsroom. She said while mentioning that she has asked for a report, “Verbally, DAHO, Deoghar has informed me that the appointments of these Para-Vets on daily wages are not legal.”

Sahay also mentioned that they have no allotments for such wagers.

She added, “Since all the three individuals have worked for ten months, I will ensure that they get their dues.”

However, the three individuals claim that their appointment as para-vets was based on a state government order (dated- February 15, 2019) by the Secretary, Animal Husbandry department (see above picture). The secretary, had written a letter to the Accounting General too, and experts believe, when the AG will term these appointments illegal then only it can be termed so.

However, the big question that arises is – if the appointment of these trained para-vets is illegal, then stern action needs to be taken against former DAHO, Deoghar, who made these appointments. 

Significantly, a para-vet is working in Simdega after a similar appointment and getting his wages. 

There are a handful of trained para-vets in Jharkhand, while almost all the districts have vacancies at animal husbandry hospitals. 

This is a developing story. Director, Nancy Sahay’s comment and additional matter has been added later after the publishing of the news.