Punjabi University health staff allege misbehaviour, complaint forwarded to police

The complaint of alleged misbehaviour with women health employees, who were treating a women contractual faculty during a protest, has been forwarded to the police. However, the faculty has refuted the allegations and termed it as a tactic to quell the long protest.

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The faculty, including women and men, are sitting on protest on the Punjabi University campus for past two months. The incident occurred on Thursday when one of the two assistant professors on a hunger strike in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s (VC’s) office at Punjabi University fainted. She had to be admitted to the university campus dispensary for treatment.

According to information, the staff nurse of Bhai Ghaniya Health Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala, accompanied with the supporting staff came to the dharna site after receiving a call woman teacher was unwell.

It is being alleged that a couple of men sitting on dharna site hurled abuses, to which the health staff objected. The health officer requesting anonymity stated that the health staff narrated the incident and complained of using foul language, shouting and misbehaviour by protesters. The matter was reported to the university authorities and further referred to the police. The health officer maintained that staff members even after listening to abuses concentrated on the patient. The patient was brought to health centre and after giving first aid was referred to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.

On the other hand, the protesting faculty has slammed the allegations as baseless and accused the university authorities of indulging in cheap tactics to end the protest.

According to information, these teachers, working on contract in various constituent colleges, neighbourhood campuses, regional centres and the main campus of Punjabi University, are demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission approved by the UGC in 2018.

Rupinder Singh, one of the protesting faculty, who is also leading the protest said, “We have been working on contract and facing exploitation for the past 10 to 16 years and wage disparity. We will not back down from achieving our legitimate demands. If any untoward incident happens with any of our colleagues during hunger strike, the sole responsibility will lie with the Punjabi University administration.” — TNS