Women university staff protest pending salary in Sonepat

Enraged over the non-disbursement of salaries for three months to teaching and non-teaching staff members at Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya (BPSMV) in Khanpur Kalan, the members staged a symbolic dharna at the main entry gate of the university on Tuesday under the joint banner of the All Employees’ Associations.

The protesting members, wearing black clothes and black badges, said they didn’t get salary for July, August, and September so far, while October was also about to end, and now the salary would be pending for four months.

The protesting members said the delay in salary payments had dampened all festivals, including Rakshabandhan, Janmashtami, Dasehra, Karwachauth, and Diwali. Around 560 employees, including regular, ad-hoc and contractual teaching and non-teaching employees, had to celebrate Diwali as a ‘black Diwali’ this year due to non-payment of salary.

The non-disbursement of salaries has put them in severe financial crisis, making it difficult for them to meet essential expenses such as children’s fees, EMIs and medical bills, etc. The protesting employees alleged that this was not the first time that the salaries were held, but the same was happening with the university employees for more than one year.

The protesting employees said a meeting was held with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sudesh on their pending salary, and the Vice-Chancellor assured them that the salaries would be disbursed within 10 days.

The protesting members of various employees’ associations warned the university administration that if the pending salaries were not released within 10 days and regular payment was not ensured in the future, they would be forced to go on a ‘pen down’ strike and sit on an indefinite dharna at the university main gate. The university administration and the Haryana Government will be held responsible for this, the members warned.