DAV College staff members protest

Jaswant Shetra

Jagraon, December 19

Teaching and non-teaching staff members of Lajpat Rai DAV College, Jagraon, staged a protest against the state government today.

The protesters raised slogans against the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab during the protest. This was the second protest held by the college staff members during the past one week. Earlier, the staff members of the college had also organised a protest on December 15.

As per information, the protest was organised on the call given by the Joint Action Committee formed by the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union and the Non-Teaching College Employees Union in support of various pending demands of the staff members of government-aided colleges.

Led by vice-principal Dr Rekha Watts, staff members of the college, including lecturers, non-teaching staff members and Class IV employees, staged the protest in front of the main entrance of the college to press the state government for releasing the grants meant for the government-aided colleges. The protesting staff members raised slogans against the state government.

During the protest, the staff members of the college kept the college shut for the entire day to show their resentment against the state government.

While addressing the staff members on the occasion, Prof Karam Singh Sandhu, Jagraon Unit president, Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union, condemned the state government for not releasing the grants meant for the aided college of the state for the past one and half years.

“The staff members of the government-aided colleges are not being paid their salaries. Due to the failure of the state government in releasing the grant for the aided colleges for such a long time, we are facing a tough time,” said Sandhu.

The protestors also criticised the state government for its decision to reduce house rent allowance and medical allowance for the staff members of the aided colleges.

Insisting the state government to roll back these decisions, the protesting staff members also demanded for the implementation of pension scheme for the staff members of the aided colleges.

The protesting staff members threatened to intensify their struggle in case the government failed to release the grant for the aided colleges and fulfil various other pending demands of the staff members of the aided colleges.

Senior lecturers Prof Tarsem Sagar, Kunal Mehta, Veena Jain, Usha Sharma, Shailja Goel, Renu Singla, Jagdeep Singh, Sarabjit Singh and other members of the non-teaching staff were present during the protest.