Victory of Vets in Supreme Court on pay parity and DACP

[VOPunjab]

Victory of Vets in Supreme Court on pay parity and DACP

Honorable Supreme Court of India on 30^th January 2018 while dismissing the leave petition filed by the Central Government endorsed the Delhi High Court decision of 2014 on providing the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) to the Veterinary Doctors working for the Central Government. This decision has brought hope and happiness to the lives of the Vets who have been demanding parity with the Medical services. This decision will also guide the Vets working with the respective State Governments to fast forward the demand of pay parity and DACP akin to the existing norms for the State Medical Services.

Pashu Sandesh has always made an effort to empower our readers with the complete information on the concerned issues. Now we have compiled the complete chronology of the chain of events leading up to the landmark decision of the Honorable Supreme Court’s decision:

1. The fifth central pay commission recommended the application of time bound promotion scheme called dynamic assured career progression (DACP) to the officers of central health services. At the same time, it also recommended that there should be complete parity between veterinary officers, general duty medical officers and dental doctors in terms of the pay scale and other career prospects.
2. Through a notification dated 30 September 1997 the central government accepted the fifth central pay commissions recommendations and granted parity of pay scales at the entry level for veterinary officers.
3. In tune with the recommendations of pay commission, the government also sanctioned nonpracticing allowance at 25% of basic pay to the veterinary officers through memo dated 15 April 1998 and 4 may 1999.
4. Through memos dated 25 Jan 1999, 5 April 2002 and 25 August 2006, the central govt extended the benefit of DACP to medical and dental doctors. However, complete parity of pay scales, promotions and the benefits which were allowed to medical and dental doctors were not extended to veterinary officers.
5. The denial of complete parity in pay scale and time-bound promotions to veterinary officers was brought to the notice of sixth central pay commission by the association of veterinary officers. The sixth central pay commission justified the principle of parity and recommended its continuation.
6. The Government accepted the recommendations of Sixth CPC, but the veterinary officers were again denied the extension of DACP. Meanwhile the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries agreed to extend the benefit of DACP to veterinary officers and sought the permission from the finance ministry for the same.
7. In 2009 the finance ministry turned down the proposal of animal husbandry department, on the grounds that unlike for dental doctors the fifth CPC did not specifically recommend the extension of DACP to veterinary officers.
8. In 2010 in response to an RTI filed by veterinary officers association, it was reviled that no specific recommendations for extension of DACP to dental doctors were made by the fifth central pay commission.
9. Veterinarians appealed to the central administrative tribunal (CAT) for the application of DACP to veterinary officers. CAT rejected the application of veterinarians on the grounds that central pay commission recommended DACP only for medical and dental doctors. A review application was also filed in CAT which was also dismissed by the tribunal.
10. Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sahukar challenged the orders of the administrative tribunal (CAT) in the high court of Delhi.
11.  The high court of Delhi in its judgment given on 14 October 2014 issued the directions to the central government to ensure that DACP is granted to the veterinary officers on the basis of central pay commissions recommendations.
12. The central government filed a special leave petition in Supreme Court of India against the above judgment and order of Delhi high court.
13. On 30 January 2017, the supreme court of India dismissed the special leave petition. This paved the way for DACP for veterinary officers working in central government services.

The positive outcome of the long standing fight in the Honorable Supreme Court can be largely attributed to the relentless efforts of Delhi Veterinary Association, ITBP and other Central Government Vets most prominently Dr. Ranvir Singh Gahlawat along with Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sahukar who filed similar petitions. 

It is unfortunate that matters like this are not sorted out at the Departmental levels by the Governments and promote a sense of injustice which often need the intervention of the Courts making the process long and concerned parties wary. These things adversely affect the morale and lead to agitations which surely would be the case with the Vets working for the State Governments to speed up their demands of pay parity and DACP same as the other Medical Services.