Interviews for the post of the veterinarians were held on Tuesday. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (General) I B Peerzada told Express Newsline that the appointment will be made soon. Sources indicate that the full-time veterinarian could be appointed in the next couple of days. Twenty-six persons appeared for the interview.

Although as per the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) it is mandatory to have a full-time veterinary doctor, the VMC was making do with a part-time doctor on the grounds that position for the full-time doctor did not exist.

After the General Board passed a proposal some time back for a full-timer, the VMC was trying to bank upon a person who is deputed from the State.

Since this did not happen, the civic body went in for interviews.

The move is considered to be a step towards improving the state of affairs in the zoo which has been rocked by mismanagement in the recent past.

It may be recalled that Express Newsline had written several reports highlighting the sorry state of affairs in the zoo and the need to appoint a full-time veterinarian on the CZA's guidelines.

VMC move flayed: Gujarat Working Women's Association's city chapter has criticised the civic body's move of doing away with the system of giving jobs to a family member of a civic employee who takes retirement on medical grounds.

In a letter to Mayor Bharati Vyas, Association president Jayshree Biniwale and secretary Giteshwari Palkar have stated that the move to do away the system introduced in 1984-85 is uncalled for.

The Standing Committee had recently done way with the system considering the fact that the scheme was misused in majority of the cases.

Biniwale has urged the Mayor to overrule the decision.

City engineer: In-charge city engineer B S Trapasia will be appointed as next city engineer.

The interviews for the post were held on Monday. Out of the 35 applications received for the post, 12 were called for the interviews.

A proposal which will be discussed in the Standing Committee meeting on Friday recommends Trapasia's name in the order of merit. One Nitin Bhatt has been named second.

The post remains vacant since the retirement of B K Desai in April.