The strike launched by doctors of Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Science University (MAFSU) to protest promotions given to the assistant animal husbandry officers was intensified on Friday. The doctors affiliated to Maharashtra Veterinary Students’ Association locked the main gate of Veterinary College at Seminary Hills and shouted slogans.
MAFSU officers, who reached the main gate for discussion, requested the agitating doctors to open the gate. The agitators however, did not pay any heed to their demands. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sandeep Joshi also reached the spot and tried to intervene. He assured the agitating doctors that he would arrange their meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Chetan Shembekar, a member of students’ association said when the doctors reached at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall, Civil Lines at around 2.30 pm, where the CM was attending a function Sitabuldi police detained them and took them to Sitabuldi police station. On getting information, the agitators at the Veterinary College marched towards Ramgiri. However, the Gittikhadan police reached the spot and prevented the students from going to Ramgiri.
Till filing of this report, police had released four doctors. It may be mentioned that on the first day of the agitation, the veterinary doctors staged protest in front of Veterinary Hospital on North Ambazari Road while on Thursday they took out a candle march to the office of State Veterinary Council.
The doctors said the agitation will be continued till their demands are not fulfilled. The State government through its order on March 8 has done injustice with all the veterinary doctors. According to the decision, the government has promoted assistant animal husbandry officers to animal husbandry officers, which is against Indian Veterinary Council Act 1984, the doctors alleged. They said that assistant animal husbandry officers do not hold any registration nor any experience. Moreover, only a veterinary sciences degree holder can be appointed to the post, they added.
