Rohtak health varsity’s outsourced staff ‘begs for justice’

In a dramatic escalation of their ongoing agitation, outsourced employees of Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences Rohtak (UHSR) staged a symbolic begging protest on Thursday, strengthening their demand for absorption into the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN).

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Holding begging bowls in their hands, the protesters walked from Vijay Park on the campus to the medical turn, appealing for money from local chemists and shopkeepers along the route. At one point, the protesters sat on the road and laid out a cloth, on which coins and currency notes were placed—creating a striking image of their demand for justice through the act of begging.

The protesters later tried entering the university’s administrative block to raise their demands directly. However, security personnel deployed at the site closed the main gate and prevented their entry. After the standoff, the protesting employees returned to their dharna site at Vijay Park.

Speaking to the media, the employees expressed frustration, stating that they were left with no option but to “beg for justice” as the authorities continued to ignore their demand. They reiterated that their only demand was to be shifted to the HKRN, which they believed would provide them with more job security and better working conditions.

The indefinite strike, now in its fourth day, has begun to impact hospital operations. Patients were seen being wheeled around by attendants and family members in the absence of support staff. Sources also reported disruptions in the functioning of the operation theatres, with several outsourced employees absent from duty.

The protesters warned that the agitation would intensify if the administration continued to remain unresponsive. “We are not asking for charity, we are asking for dignity and livelihood,” said one of the striking workers.