GNDU daily wagers allege harassment

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 21

Employees working on daily wages with the Electrical Department of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) have alleged harassment at the hands of an employee of the department on the pretext of job security.

According to a written complaint submitted to vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu, employees have alleged that an electrician has been taking Rs1,000 from daily wagers for continued employment. He had been giving them threats to fire them.

In the letter, they have also alleged that he had now asked them to pay Rs1,500 after he was the assigned temporary role of supervisor in the same department. The employees have submitted a video to the authorities, in the which electrician is seen taking money. In the video, he is smoking in the generator room surrounded by diesel drums, making the campus prone to any casualty. Notably, the university has banned smoking in the campus.

The complainants also alleged that they had been undergoing a lot of mental stress because of a continuous threat to their jobs, misbehavior and alleged corruption at hands of the electrician.

Refuting all allegations, the electrician, however, said, “All these allegations are baseless. They are trying to frame me. There is already a case regarding negligence of duty against them, which is pending in the court. I found them sleeping during duties hours. I have been working with the university for the past 40 years. My record is clear. The money I took in the video was a loan given to the person concerned. He paid me back.”

Registrar of GNDU Karanjeet Singh Kahlon said: “The matter is in our knowledge. We have already referred the case to the Vigilance Department of the institute. We are also aware of smoking incident in the clip. The proceedings are underway. A strict actino will be taken against those found guilty.”