ASSISTANT RESEARCH scholars at the Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture and Technology University (CSA) have resorted to indefinite fast from Saturday in protest against the non-payment of revised salary.
A senior technical assistant and representative of assistant research cadre Jagbir Singh in a memorandum to the vice- chancellor and the Prime Minister said that in August last year, the research assistants had observed 35-day-long relay fast to press for payment of the revised salary. State Minister for Agriculture Education and Research Yogesh Pratap Singh had assured them of paying the revised salary soon. Consequently, the relay fast was called off.
Although more than six months had passed, the government did not pay the revised salary. Besides, despite the government order, the university authorities did not issue promotion orders to the assistant research scholars.
Jagbir Singh, who is also general secretary of the Backward Class Welfare Association at CSA, alleged that he had sought an appointment with Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to apprise him of the injustice being meted out to the members of Dalit and Backward Classes. But the Chief Minister did not meet him, Singh added.
He said that the research assistants at the Faizabad Agriculture University were being paid the revised pay-scale since 1992 but the 75 per cent research assistants belonging to Dalit and Backward Classes at the CSA were being deprived of the revised salary.
He alleged that many research assistants, belonging to Dalit and Backward Castes, were deprived of promotion for no valid reasons. But some junior research assistants, belonging to upper castes, were promoted to the post of assistant professors, he alleged.
He alleged that many research assistants, belonging to Dalit and Backward Castes, were deprived of promotion for no valid reasons. But some junior research assistants, belonging to upper castes, were promoted to the post of assistant professors, he alleged.