Unemployed dental surgeons sell vegetable, ice cream in protest

Unemployed dental surgeons selling vegetables as a mark of protest in Jammu. —Excelsior/Rakesh
Unemployed dental surgeons selling vegetables as a mark of protest in Jammu. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 6: The unemployed dental surgeons, who have been sitting on protest at Amphalla Chowk for last 15 days, today sold vegetables and ice cream to express their resentment towards apathy of the Government towards them.
Slamming the Jammu and Kashmir Government for neglecting the professionals, the protesting dental doctors turned vegetable and ice cream vendors. While holding placards, the agitating doctors demanded justice. They said neglect of the Government has forced them to sell vegetables and ice-cream to meet their daily needs.
“Since 2008, the Public Service Commission has issued no notification to recruit dental surgeons,” one of the protesting doctors said. He said that the surgeons have been forced to see this day by the administration.
“Government claims that Rs 40 crore budget is needed to absorb the doctors in the hospitals. If the Government cannot accommodate all the doctors in one go, let it be in a phased manner based upon the year in which they did professional degrees,” he expressed.
Another doctor said, “If the Government cannot provide jobs to the educated youths then it should close the colleges”. If we have to sell vegetables and ice cream then what is the fun of our degrees which we have earned after a hard work of three-four years and expending our hard earned money”.
Last week, some dental surgeons had also burnt the copies of their professional degrees in resentment. They are demanding their absorption through JKPSC and other centrally sponsored schemes. They are also demanding separate directorate of dentistry for smooth redressal of demands and grievances.