UGC pay scales: PAUTA holds protest rally, block Ludhiana’s Ferozepur road

PAUTA members held placards and raised slogans against the Punjab government for not implementing UGC pay scales

Punjab Agriculture University Teachers’ Association (PAUTA) on Monday held a protest in front of Thapar Hall of the university and followed by a rally at gate no.1 of the varsity against the state government’s delay in the notification of new pay scales.

PAUTA members blocking the Ferozepur road during the protest in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo)

The commuters were inconvenienced as a result of the rally, which led to the blockage of Ferozepur road.

PAUTA members held placards and raised slogans against the Punjab government. No education continued for the 15th day.

PAUTA president Harmeet Singh Kingra secretary and Mandeep Singh Gill warned the government that the university teachers will be compelled to intensify the agitation if the notification is not issued in the coming days.

The protest was also supported by retired teachers of the PAU. Notably, the government through the higher education department has already issued orders for the implementation of the 7th UGC pay scales for traditional universities and college teachers in the state in September 2022.

The notification of PAU was supposed to be done by the department of agriculture and farmers welfare, usually within one month of the notification of the department of higher education. However, almost five months have passed, but the notification is yet to be released.