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Ludhiana mayor’s attempt to end PAU protest bears no fruit
High drama was witnessed at PAU on Tuesday when Ludhiana mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, who was accompanied by PAU officials, faced intense protest from the Daily Paid Labourer (DPL) and Contractual Union member
The government’s attempt to end the ongoing protest at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has failed once again. High drama was witnessed at the varsity on Tuesday when mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, who was accompanied by PAU officials including director of extension JS Mahal, faced intense protest from the Daily Paid Labourer (DPL) and Contractual Union members.
He asked the union leaders to end the strike and join the meeting of the board of management to be held December 16. Sandhu asked the protesting staff to lift the protest and assured that he will take up the issue of hiring the contractual staff for 500 vacant posts of the university and the remaining DPL staff on contractual basis.
While a faction led by Jagwinder Singh Grewal agreed to the proposal, the faction of DPL employees union led by Chamkaur Singh refused to lift the dharna and said that minimum pay for DPL employees should be ₹21,000. This led to a heated argument between union members, the mayor and PAU authorities.
Some of the employee union activists started raising slogans against the mayor and the PAU authorities. Later, both the factions reached a consensus and agreed to continue the protest.
When asked, the mayor said that the talks failed due to the confrontation between the protesting factions.
Kingra’s hunger strike enters seventh day
On the other hand, the hunger strike by Dr HS Kingra, president of Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (PFUCTO) and PAU Teachers’ Association, entered its seventh day. PFUCTO members said that although Dr Kingra’s health is deteriorating, he is still in high spirits.
As per sources, a delegation of four members is also meeting cabinet minister Manpreet Singh Badal to take up demands of the union. The teachers’ union has been protesting for the past seven days while demanding revision of UGC pay scales and withdrawal of the decision of delinking universities from UGC scales.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader DP Maur along with his supporters met Kingra today. Earlier SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema and Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal had met Kingra and demanded the immediate implementation of UGC scale for university professors.