Himachal Veterinary Doctors Association Demands Urgent Restoration of Career Progression Scheme and NPA

Shimla : The Himachal Pradesh Veterinary Officers Association has launched a coordinated appeal demanding the immediate restoration of the Assured Career Progression Scheme (ACPS) alongside the Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA).

The administrative dynamic follows growing resentment within the animal husbandry department over prolonged financial scaling cuts.Association representatives pointed out that the 4-9-14 year time-bound promotion hierarchy under the career progression model was previously a critical factor in maintaining structural pay parity with human medical professionals.

Animal husbandry experts argue that the unilateral suspension of these promotion tiers has severely damaged internal morale, effectively freezing long-term promotions and financial advancements for hundreds of operational veterinary staff stationed in remote, high-altitude locations.Furthermore,

the veterinarians highlighted the recent decision by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state administration to selectively restore the Non-Practicing Allowance for super-specialist medical faculty. The association requested that a similar restorative framework must be immediately extended to the veterinary sector.

They emphasized that newly recruited veterinary officers have faced an effective 20 percent financial deduction since the structural removal of the NPA, heavily discouraging qualified youth from entering state-managed rural veterinary services.  "Veterinary doctors operate round-the-clock under highly unpredictable fieldwork conditions, driving the agrarian dairy economy and protecting farmers against lethal livestock epidemics,"

 a senior association official remarked. The core committee warned that if the state administration continuously neglects their structural demands, it could cause systemic disruptions throughout the livestock management and dairy sectors. The union body has submitted a formal memorandum to the animal husbandry ministry, seeking immediate intervention before considering democratic protests.