UGC pay scales: PAUTA protest continues amidst alumni meet

Former students of the university were seen going down the memory lane during the 58th alumni meet outside the College of Agriculture, while a few meters away, the members of Punjab agricultural university teacher’s association (PAUTA) were staging protest against the state government for not implementing the 7th pay commission

The protest at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for the implementation of the 7th pay commission continued for the second day on Thursday amidst an alumni meet being held just opposite the sit-in.

PAUTA members during the protesting near Thapar Hall, PAU in Ludhiana on Thursday. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

Former students of the university were seen going down the memory lane during the 58th alumni meet outside the College of Agriculture, while a few meters away, the members of Punjab agricultural university teacher’s association (PAUTA) were staging protest against the state government for not implementing the 7th pay commission.

Members of PAUTA, along with GADVASU teachers’ association had organised the protest ahead the visit of agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Wednesday .

The minister had visited the campus to inspect the preparations of the upcoming “Sarkar-Kisan Milni’ event, which is scheduled to take place on February 12.

PAUTA and GADVASU teachers’ association have announced to boycott the government- farmer’s meet and stage a protest against the government on February 12, if they does not implement the 7th pay commission and repeal the order of reducing the retirement age from 60 to 58.

While addressing the gathering ,Harpreet Singh, member of GADVASU teachers’ association said over 800 teaching faculty of PAU and nearly 250 of Guru Anand Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) have been denied benefits of 7th pay commission.

He added that the government had already notified the implementation of 7th UGC pay scales for traditional universities and college teachers of the state in September, 2022 through the department of higher education.

While addressing the protest, PAUTA president H S Kingra and secretary Mandeep Singh Gill, questioned the intent of government in creating unnecessary hurdles in process of issuing notification for PAU teachers and appealed to the state government to implement the pay scales.

The music of fast-paced bhangra and giddha performance at alumni meet was often interrupted by the slogans of protesting PAUTA members.

.