JCDAV College staff sit on hunger strike over pay, promotion dues

The local unit of the Punjab Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) at DAV College, Dasuya observed a one-day hunger strike on Friday, protesting against the college management for not releasing the 7th Pay Commission benefits to all employees, failing to ensure uniform CPF deductions, and withholding promotion dues.

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Addressing the gathering, Dr Amandeep Rana, vice-president of the local unit, said it was deeply ironic the protest coincided with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Hans Raj, the founder of DAV institutions. “On the birthday of Mahatma Hans Raj ji, who dedicated his life to connecting the common man with education, college staff are being forced to sit on a hunger strike to claim their basic rights,” he said. “The management has begun treating the educational trust established by Mahatma ji as a profit-making enterprise. This attitude has left employees struggling to maintain their families.”

Echoing similar sentiments, unit secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar criticised the management’s apparent apathy, noting that while staff were protesting for their rights, the college administration was celebrating the occasion “with their close ones in the cool valleys of Himachal.”

He stated staff members across all DAV colleges in the state held a one-day hunger strike to highlight their collective grievances. “This protest is not an isolated incident but part of a broader state-wide movement by college staff under DAV management. If the management does not accept our legitimate demands, we will be left with no choice but to take stronger action,” he warned.

Dr Kumar said the next step would be a peaceful sit-in outside the DAV College Managing Committee headquarters in Delhi on 29 April, if their concerns remain unaddressed.

The protesters called on the management to uphold the principles and values laid down by Mahatma Hans Raj, and to immediately address their longstanding issues concerning fair pay, provident fund deductions and pending promotions.