GUWAHATI, Sept 13 � The Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Service Association (AAHVSA) has resented the failure of the State Government to fill up the 336 vacant posts of officers and doctors in the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department for the past several years.
In a statement, the Association stated that the State Government has failed to appoint a Director of the Department for the past nine months. All the five posts of Additional Director of the Department are lying vacant for over two years now.
Out of the ten posts of the Joint Director, seven are vacant for the past about one and a half years. Of the 56 posts of Deputy Director, or District Veterinary Officer (DVO), 48 are lying vacant for over two years. Of the 52 posts of Assistant Director, 31 are vacant for nearly two years. Of the 175 posts of Sub-divisional Veterinary Officers, 16 are vacant since November 2012. Of the 703 posts of Veterinary Doctors or equivalent posts, 128 are vacant for past two years, the Association said. In 24 districts, there is no full-fledged District Veterinary Officer.
In all, 128 dispensaries of the Department are running without any Veterinary Doctor for the past about two years.
Dearth of officers has resulted in the virtual abandonment of the Regional Institute of Livestock Entrepreneurship Management (RILEM) at Rani. The infrastructure of the Institute was built with funds from the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY), and it was meant for training the farmers of the NE region.
Moreover, the Government is yet to take over the building of the Officers� Training Institute located at Khanapara. The State Public Works Department has already completed construction of the building, it said.
The Association has urged the Government to initiate urgent steps for the revival of the Department�s lone feed mill located at Khanapara and to make the Department�s Regional Feed Testing Laboratory functioning.
The Association has demanded further utilization of the funds meant for outsourcing the artificial insemination activities for creating quality cattle population through the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.
Dearth of District Veterinary Officers has hampered implementation of the schemes like the World Bank-sponsored Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project, RKVY, National Livestock Mission, Assistance to State for Control of Animal Disease etc, said the Association.
