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Vacant posts: PAU students ‘sell vegetables’ to mark protest in Ludhiana
PAU, Ludhiana, protesting students also took a sarcastic dig at the state government by installing charts at the protest site stating that educated students no longer need to go abroad as the Punjab government has given them the opportunity to sell vegetables
Up in arms over vacant posts in the state agriculture and horticulture departments not being filled, members of the Punjab Agricultural University Students Association (PAUSA) held a symbolic protest on Thursday by selling vegetables at gate number 1 of the varsity campus.
The protesting students also took a sarcastic dig at the state government by installing charts at the protest site stating that educated students no longer need to go abroad as the Punjab government has given them the opportunity to sell vegetables.
The students had started an indefinite 24x7 agitation on Wednesday and said they will also spend nights at the protest site until the government fulfils their demand.
They added that a number of memorandums have been submitted with the previous and current governments, but their demand has been ignored. “Due to this, eligible PhD, MSc and BSc students are unemployed and have been forced to protest,” they said.
A memorandum was also submitted with minister of animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy development, Laljit Singh Bhullar, during his recent visit to Guru Angad Dev veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), but to no avail.
PAUSA members Babanpreet Singh, Sukhdep Singh, Binay and Angrej Mann said around 50% posts are lying vacant currently. “AAP had made tall claims about filling vacant posts ahead of the assembly elections, but no concrete steps have been taken after they formed the government,” they said.
“Even after PAUSA raised an agitation, no government representative has approached the students. We will continue protesting until our genuine demand is fulfilled and students will polish shoes on Friday as a sign of protest,” said Babanpreet.
The students said 510 posts of agriculture development officer, 150 of horticulture development officer, 20 of soil conservation officer and 370 of agriculture sub-inspector are currently vacant.
