Indore: BJP MLA lends support to agitating DAVV contract employees

Backing agitating contract employees of Indore’s Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, BJP legislator Ramesh Mendola on Wednesday warned the varsity of raising matter in the assembly and the Lokayuktya if jobs were not regularised within a stipulated time.

Backing agitating contract employees of Indore’s Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, BJP legislator Ramesh Mendola on Wednesday warned the varsity of raising matter in the assembly and the Lokayuktya if jobs were not regularised within a stipulated time.

BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola with DAVV executive council members and officials in Indore on Wednesday. (Arun Mondhe/ HT photo)

More than 253 contract employees of 17 self-finance departments in DAVV are awaiting regularisation of their jobs for last three years even after government’s nod. After an executive meeting, EC members met contract employees and requested them to end the strike. But the contract employees asked EC members to give them assurance in writing if they want to end the stir.

Mendola met university executive council members before a special executive council (EC) meeting here.

DAVV vice-chancellor Narendra Dhakkar, former officiating vice-chancellor Ashutosh Mishra, university registrar RD Musalgaonkar, executive members Chandrashekhar Raikwar, Vikram Bhuria, Jamila Jalliwala and others assured Mandola and agitating employees that steps will be taken after legal opinion from a retired high court judge within the next 15 days.

Why the delay, asks Mendola

Mendola cautioned university administration for intentionally delaying the regularisation process despite getting clearance from the state government.

Earlier, Mendola alleged that DAVV officials were keeping executive council in dark. “Why is the university not regularising jobs even after state government approved their appointments? Why the delay?” Mendola questioned. “There are several contract employees working for 25 to 30 years and now on verge of retirement. If they don’t get regularisation benefit, then it will be big injustice.”

Contract employees demanded that university should form separate committee to redress grievances of those contract employees who failed to get into eligibility list.

Later, the DAVV executive council has formed a two-member panel comprising Chandrashekhar Raikwar and Rajendra Singh to look into the matter of over 79 contract employees who failed to get place in the list.

Vice chancellor Dhakkar assured the agitating employees that the matter was in final stage as university has already prepared a list of 174 eligible candidates. “We just need government approval. If the MLA helps them, university will regularise eligible employees today itself.”