OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: The abysmal state of the government-run state veterinary dispensary at Digboi’s Panbari area along the Digboi-Pengaree road in Assam’s Tinsukia district has unfolded gross negligence of government, also leading to the waste of multiple crores of public money.
The affairs of the unhygienic dispensary are being managed poorly due to lack of basic amenities including water connection, toilets, hand wash, stable power connections, roof ceilings, and waste disposal management.
The decade-long incomplete structures of a new clinic and double-storeyed doctor’s accommodation close to the dispensary have turned into a piggery.
“The work of the mammoth half-erected buildings, started during the Congress regime in Assam, stands incomplete despite repeated appeal to the concerned authority,” said Veterinarian Himasri Das during an exclusive with The Sentinel on Wednesday morning.
“Due to similar infra-amenities issues and constraints at my actual posting site at Agbandha dispensary in Margherita, I have been attached here in Digboi since February 2023,” stated the Vet.
“We are facing immense hurdles in discharging our responsibilities effectively for want of a proper working environment and required basic facilities,” lamented a Veterinary Field Assistant (VFA).
Meanwhile, when inquired, a fourth grade staff serving for 35 years in the area admitted to using the government asset for housing pigs as the chance of its completion was reportedly very bleak. The footfall in the dispensary is extremely minimal as the trust of the community on the clinic has been fast evaporating with every passing day.
On the other hand, Das, the Veterinarian, when asked about the duty hours, informed that service to the community is provided only up to 1 PM beyond which they are engaged in online reports and data entry.
Responding to the queries concerning the alleged undue charges sought from the community, the Veterinarian denied the allegations citing vitamins and vaccination if available given in the clinic free of cost while charges apply for those medicines and services rendered beyond 1 PM in the field which come under private practice.
When asked about the cause of death of a pig three days ago in Panbari village soon after administering an injection by one of the VFA Bhupen Bora, the Veterinarian Das regretting the incident told that the said VFA is no longer attached to the Digboi dispensary. “Due to multiple complaints and allegations about his misconduct, he has been attached to Hapjan Block as punishment transfer,” informed the official.
However, the effective services of the government veterinary dispensary are denied to the rural livestock, a sector recognized as a major contributor to agriculture GDP in Assam.
Unless the BJP-led Government in Assam intervenes to revamp the system addressing the paralysing issues, the scenario in the sector would stay at rock bottom, the way it has already after years of neglect.
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