Ailing MDU professors put on duty at quarantine centres

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 22

Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) faculty members put on duty at quarantine centres by the district administration include a physically challenged professor and another who is suffering from chronic heart ailment and has recently undergone a bypass surgery.

Taking a strong exception to the move, the MDU Teachers Association (MDUTA) on Friday wrote to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar seeking his intervention and urging him to direct the district administration not to issue such orders in future.

The letter pointed out that the Rohtak district administration had earlier issued an order to use a ground on MDU campus as a burial/cremation site for the deceased Covid patients – the said order was though withdrawn later.

Then, the district authorities ordered to create a quarantine centre on the university campus for Indian students stranded in foreign countries, the letter added.

“Now, the district administration has deputed senior faculty members, including those holding crucial decision-making positions at MDU and those suffering from chronic ailments to quarantine centres. Women faculty members have been put on duty at quarantine centres in the evening shift from 5 pm to 11 pm,” said MDUTA president Vikas Siwach.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, RS Verma said the MDU administration had provided them the list of the faculty members and other employees of the university for being deployed on Covid-related duties, but the list did not mention that certain faculty members/officials were physically challenged or suffering from chronic ailments.

“If we come across any such instance, we will do the needful,” said Verma.

MDU Registrar Prof Gulshan Lal Taneja could not be reached for his comments despite repeated attempts.