Advisor to Governor, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai today reviewed requirement of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons (VASs) in the Animal and Sheep Husbandry (ASH) department to make up the deficiency of veterinary doctors required to provide health cover to the State’s livestock.Principal Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, Directors of Animal Husbandry, Jammu/Kashmir; Director Sheep Husbandry Jammu/Kashmir; Director Planning, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department, Additional Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry department and other senior officials were present in the meeting.The Principal Secretary informed the Advisor that there is shortage of vets in the department for which fast-tracking of the recruitment process is imperative. “There are only 736 veterinarians presently serving the department, out of which 200 vets are working on the administrative side, leaving only 536 to attend to the entire state livestock population,” said Mr. Samoon.
He reiterated that there is urgent need of additional VASs so as to provide satisfactory health cover to the State’s livestock population, who are presently without any credible health cover.It was further revealed that Veterinary Council of India has laid down norms and criteria for trained veterinary doctors based on population of livestock and according to these norms, the deficiency of vets is over 1000 in the state.After detailed deliberations, it was decided that the Principal Secretary Animal & Sheep Husbandry would formulate a proposal for engagement of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons on contractual basis on a consolidated monthly remuneration to meet the deficiency after which the same would be sent to the Finance Department for consideration and concurrence.The recruitment of VASs on contractual basis will be in addition to 400 posts, which were recently approved by the Finance Department, and about 70 existing vacancies which need to be referred to the PSC.