Ludhiana: PAU students clean vehicles to mark protest

A day after pulling rickshaws, students of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana cleaned vehicles of commuters on Ferozepur Road to mark their protest against the state government which entered its eighth day on Wednesday

A day after pulling rickshaws, students of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) cleaned vehicles of commuters on Ferozepur Road to mark their protest against the state government which entered its eighth day on Wednesday.

PAU students protesting against the state government on Ferozepur Road on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Students affiliated to the Punjab Agricultural University Students Association (PAUSA) have been protesting over vacant posts in the state agriculture and horticulture departments and the failure of the Punjab government to provide employment to educated youth.

As per protesting students, 410 posts of agriculture development officer; 350 of agriculture sub-inspector, 125 of horticulture development officer, 129 of soil conservation officer and 56 of market secretary are currently vacant.

Labourers demand regular jobs

Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 labourers working at the agri varsity observed a two-hour strike and staged a dharna outside Thapar Hall on the university campus.

The protesting daily wage employees demanded regularisation of jobs and increase in salaries. They said that many of them had been working at the varsity for over a decade for just ₹7,000 per month.