Separate service rules proposed for field assistants, says vety. chief

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Nov. 16: The shortage of veterinary field assistants (VFA) in Nagaland has grown to pressurize the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services. Because of this problem, the period of training for the VFAs has been reduced to six months from one-year, said director of the department Dr. IP Khala at the 18th general conference of the Nagaland Veterinary Field Assistants’ Association (NVFAA) on Thur. Nov. 16 at the town hall in Dimapur.
Dr. Khala suggested that the VFAs ask the government to create more posts to give efficient services. Taking into consideration the challenges faced by the assistants, the department has proposed a policy to have separate service rules of the VFAs; the matter is now in the final stages of process with the government.
“I hope once the Service Rules gets its due approval, there will be ample scope for your service career,” he said.
The service condition of the VFAs has gone up but the service condition to farmers by the VFA has gone down, the department’s director said. He has urged the VFAs to pledge to give good services to the farmers ‘in return for the good conditions that the government is providing them.’
Further, the director urged the NVFAA to give a ‘best VFA award’ every year to persons who are giving their best efforts and maximum service to the farmers. By proposing this, he said, the association will be ‘able to go ahead with their technical knowhow.’
The VFAs in the outposts should never miss trainings ‘to keep updated in order to avoid disgrace,’ he said. He suggested that the NVFAA request the authorities to conduct specialised training. In order to render veterinary services efficiently and effectively to farmers by the veterinarians and para-veterinarians, he said, more trainings are required with practical knowledge rather than ‘too much of theory.’
The president of the Nagaland Veterinarian’s Association (NVA) Dr. Ilang also spoke at the event. He reminded the NVFAA that the department was active because of the association. Considering this, he said, they should be ready to hold responsibility and ‘popularise’ the department.
Calling the Naga people ‘animal farmers,’ Dr. Ilang said that the association—it has 325 members—should deliberate on the group’s contribution since its formation in 1981. “When you retrospect, you will question what the department has done for the association,” the official remarked. He said it was time to think how to foster cooperation between the department and the association.
In his welcome address the NVFAA’s President Tokiho Swu maintained that the most important achievement in their field has been the eradication of anthrax and rinderpest diseases from the state. “After a gap of five decade anthrax resurfaced in 2016 at Zunheboto and in order to stop the epidemic we need to be ready to face the challenges,” Swu said.
With cooperation and ‘share of difficulties’ with the higher authorities, there can be a ‘profitable change in the state economy through animal farming sectors,’ Swu explained. Also, he appealed to the director and officials of the department to impart skills to the NVFAA and provide refresher courses outside the state. That way, he said, the association can learn the techniques of using modern technology.