CHENNAI: PMK founder S Ramadoss urged the state government to promote government veterinarians by following the norms followed in promoting the government doctors.

In a statement, the senior leader said that the government is refusing to implement periodical promotions to veterinarians working in the animal husbandry department despite recommendations from the department.

"While joining the department as assistant veterinarians, they are given a salary on par with assistant doctors. But, assistant doctors get promotions after 8 years. On the other hand, promotion to assistant veterinarians is being given only after 24 years, " he pointed out.

Saying that the practice amounts to injustice, Ramadoss added that some assistant veterinarians retire from the service in the same rank that they had joined.

"During the earlier government, an order was issued to promote the veterinarians periodically after 8, 16 and 24 years. But the order is kept under abeyance. The law department has shelved the order despite the animal husbandry department recommended to implement the order with modifications, " he said.

Opining that the reasons given by the government to prevent periodical promotion to assistant veterinarians are unreasonable, Ramadoss pointed out that the government had fulfilled the demand of dentists, who requested periodical promotions like the doctors, and implemented periodical promotion after 8, 15, 17 and 20 years.

"But the government is refusing to provide 3 promotions to veterinarians. Denying promotions to the veterinarians is against social justice, " Ramadoss added.