IIT shifts academic activities, residences to south campus

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 23

After the incident of June 20 at north campus, the academic activities and residences of IIT-Mandi have been confined to the south campus, which is about 3 km from the north campus.

In a statement issued here today, the IIT Director stated that the construction work of the north campus (hostels, faculty housing and dining blocks) was entrusted to the CPWD under Deposit Work Scheme.

The CPWD, on its part, had awarded the work to Supreme Infrastructure Ltd, Gurgaon. The CPWD has a permanent camp office on the site to check and supervise the daily construction work. Progress of construction work and technical issues were reviewed by the IIT-Mandi periodically, he said.

A representation addressed to Assistant Commissioner, EPF, Shimla, was received by IIT-Mandi from HP Bhawan Awam Sadak Nirman Mazdoor Union on May 27, stating non-payment of EPF amount to the workers’ EPF accounts. Reacting immediately on the representation, the Registrar, IIT-Mandi, forwarded it to the CPWD on May 28 for necessary action. The CPWD informed that there had been negotiations between the workers union and the contractors, and an agreement was reached on June 17.

On receiving a call from the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, on June 19 related to workers’ EPF and wages issues, the Registrar, called an urgent meeting which was attended by officials of the CPWD and Supreme Infrastructure.

In the meeting, the officials of the CPWD and Supreme Infrastructure assured to pay the pending wages for the month of May to workers by June 20 and settle the EPF issues by June 23 as was mutually agreed in negotiations on June 17.

The agreement document was also submitted by the contractor in the meeting which was signed by the contractor’s representatives and some workers’ union representatives.

The DC, Mandi, was apprised by the Registrar immediately about the outcome of the meeting and it appeared that workers’ issues had been resolved.

On June 20, it was reported that some workers gathered at the construction site in the morning and it led finally to the incident of loss of life of some employees of the contractor and injuries to others. The IIT and its community were extremely saddened by the incident.