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PAU contractual non-teaching staff seeking regularisation threaten to boycott Kisan Mela
The non-teaching staff have alleged that the PAU administration is not regularising the contractual staff despite over a thousand vacant posts waiting to be filled
Threatening to intensify their protest against the state government and university authority over the alleged failure to carry out regularisation, Punjab Agricultural University’s contractual non-teaching staff said the union will boycott the upcoming Kisan Mela scheduled for March 24 and 25 if demands are not met.
The non-teaching staff have alleged that the administration is not regularising the contractual staff despite over a thousand vacant posts waiting to be filled. According to the protesters, the university authorities claimed that the Punjab government’s regulations were keeping them from filling the vacant posts, causing a delay in the regularisation of the existing staff.
“Around 500 employees of non-teaching staff have been regularised by the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), but when we ask the same for us we are told that the government has banned recruitment for Class D employees. Then how did GADVASU and other universities of Punjab regularise their contractual employees?” Jagwinderjit Singh, president of the PAU Non-Teaching Employees Union, questioned.
Detailing the treatment being meted out to contractual staff, Gurpreet, who has been working at the university for the last 12 years, said, “We are not paid a definite amount per month, instead our pay is calculated on the day-base system due to which we end up getting 5,000 to 6,000 per month in hand.”
“It is nearly impossible to run a kitchen and look after a family with such a small amount. If not regularisation then at least a salary hike should be done to rescue us from the deep financial crisis we have been sinking into,” he added.
Reacting to the allegation made by the protesting union, director research Ajmer Singh said, “Punjab government has imposed a ban on Class D recruitments. And as far their salaries are concerned they are also being paid as per govt’s instructions.”
Non-teaching staff of the university have been protesting outside the Thapar Hall since February 22.
Two-day Kisan Mela to commence on March 24
Aimed at underlining the need for cutting farm expenses by making judicious use of water and fertilisers, the theme for this year’s mela is “aao kheti kharch kataiyey, vaadu paani, khaad na paiye.”
The mela also aims to promote agricultural sustainability through natural resource conservation, straw management, adoption of subsidiary occupations and rich dividends to the farmer.
PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal urged the farmers, farm women and youth of the state to participate in the melas along with their families. He called for making agriculture salubrious ecologically and economically.
Extension education director GS Buttar said the preparations for the mela were in full swing. He added that quality seed and planting material, biofertilizers and farm publications will be sold to the farmers under one roof in addition to showcasing live demonstrations, holding farmers-scientists’ interaction, crop produce and home science competitions.
The PAU event will come in quick succession of Kisan Melas at Gurdaspur, Faridkot, Rauni (Patiala) and Bathinda, scheduled to be held on March 10, 14, 16 and 21, respectively.
