The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Appointment issue plagues PAU once again
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 7
The controversial issue of the appointment of the Comptroller, Punjab Agricultural University, is back in focus with the issue figuring on the agenda of the meeting of the Board of Management, which is scheduled to be held in Chandigarh tomorrow.

Interestingly, the name of Mr Gopal Dass, Accounts Officer, PAU, for the post was not cleared by the board at its meeting held on July 30. His name was recommended to the board by a selection committee after conducting an interview.

At that time the board said the Punjab Government would send a Comptroller on deputation but of late it was learnt that the government had refused to do so. So the authorities have now decided to do something on their own till the post gets vacated on January 31.

Sources disclosed that the authorities were taking this matter into the meeting again as the then Principal Secretary (Finance), who had raised an objection on the appointment of Mr Dass, was transferred. Therefore, speculation is rife that his name was expected to be cleared at the meeting. The reason why he was not appointed was, however, not recorded in the proceeding of the meeting.

Moreover, the sources revealed that a member of the board had written to the university authorities to reconsider the name of Mr Dass. Consequently, the issue was being taken to the meeting.

It is learnt that the agenda of the meeting was not sent to some members of the board. Under normal circumstances the agenda was usually sent to the members at least 10 days in advance.

Recently Mr Dass moved the high court challenging the decision of the board for not appointing him.

The post was to be vacated by Mr S.K. Bhatia on July 31 but he was given an extension of six months by the board. Interestingly, the PAU had interviewed five candidates on July 22 and the selection committee had recommended the name of Mr Dass.

Mr Bhatia was also given an extension for an year and three months in April 2000.

Rival groups hold poll rallies at varsity
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 7
In the run up to the non-teaching employees election on November 9 in Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the Maur group and the Deol group organised rallies at separate venues on the campus here today. Both groups claimed massive support.

The PAU employees forum and its allied group led by Mr D.P. Maur, contesting elections on the mango symbol, held a rally in front of the Veterinary College. The candidate for the post of president, Mr Maur highlighted the main achievements. These included Rs 40, Rs 80 and Rs 120 as special allowance to clerks, senior clerks, steno-typists, other grade C employees and senior assistants, abolition of lower standard departmental examinations, implementation of G-4 pattern with effect from January 1, 1996, merger of junior-scale stenographers with senior-scale stenographers, study leave for non-teaching staff, employees welfare scheme for the families of deceased employees, fee concession for wards of employees studying in PAU, reservation of 75 per cent of seats in PAU school for wards of employees, exemption of science and Punjabi for ACP Scheme, advance of 80 per cent of medical expense option of pension from CPF before three years of retirement, promotional increment to personal assistants and restoration of promotional posts.

Mr Maur criticised the opposition by saying it had done nothing for the welfare of employees. A significant number of employees had to go to court due to cold attitude of Mr Deol towards their demands during 1993-94, when Mr Deol was president of the union. The special allowances of Rs 40 and Rs 80 were implemented during 1994 and 1991, respectively, in the Civil Secretariat, but Mr Deol made no effort to get their allowances implemented in PAU. Attendants and employees related to the incentive increment cases also had to go to court during the tenure of Mr Deol.

The PAU Employees United Front, led by Mr Avtar Singh Deol held its rally in front of the Thapar Hall. The office-bearers of various organisations, such as PAU Pensioners Association, Jeep/Car Drivers Association, Tractor Drivers Association, Lab/Field Staff Association, Ministerial Employees association and supervisory Staff Association announced their support to the front. They also requested all employees of the university to elect candidates of the front, which had motor cycle as its election symbol. They claimed that candidates of the front would be elected with a margin of more than 500 votes.

Mr Deol claimed in a press note that the Maur group received a big blow today, when the senior vice-president and the organising secretary, Mr Jaswant Singh and Mr Ajmer Singh, respectively, declared their support to the candidates of the front. Mr Mohinder Singh Khanna and Mr Prem Parkash, president and general secretary, respectively, of the PAU Lab Staff Association, handed over a resolution to Mr Deol, declaring the support of the laboratory staff in favour of the front. The Maur group had failed to get their demand for grant of pay scale equivalent to PO/Fieldman to the lab attendants accepted.

He said he would get their demands accepted. These included regularisation of strike period of 63 days, promotion of lab attendants in the ratio of 2:1, special allowance of Rs 700 per month to the jeep/car drivers and Rs 500 per month to tractor drivers, in G4, grant of scale of Rs 2000-3500 for senior assistants, implementation of special allowance of Rs 40, grant of ACP scheme benefit to all employees without condition of educational qualification, inclusion of left-over categories into G4, grant of pay scale to the lab attendants equivalent to PO fieldman, creation of posts of superintendent GII, additional increment to accountants due to their merger with senior assistants and promotional increment to junior assistant.

World class deejaying for you
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 7
The Bacardi Blast on November 9 at a local Resort with DJ Ivan and MTV VJ Nikhil Chinnapa will take the party enthusiasts on an exhilarating journey of groovy music. Ivan has arrived from Mumbai. While talking to mediapersons, he informed them about the music that he was going to play on Friday, the day of the party.

Addressing mediapersons, he said, we will enthrall the crowd with our music and make them away to the pulsating beats.

Ivan said he would play music records on a turntable and his speciality was a particular music, House. He said, “One record costs Rs 400 and each of these has four variations of the same song. I will play different versions depending on the mood of the crowd. I have brought 150 records with me.”

Ivan regularly visits London for training. During the past few years some DJs from London have joined him and some other Indian DJs for playing at Bacardi Blasts. “These days girls have also taken to deejaying and in India there are five girls who are deejaying quite well,” he said.

“The Indian youth is also getting attuned to Western music and they are becoming more appreciative of the last trends. I have played for an audience of 7500 at Bangalore. Star TV has started an FM channel there which plays nonstop music 24 hours a day. I will play non stop music for three hours on Saturday evening. The increase in number of DJs has been phenomenal, but quality DJs are only few,” he said.