Ludhiana, June 22
Strengthening the claims of the evicted senior Professor of Punjab Agricultural University, Dr Amarjit Singh Grewal, that he was the only Professor who was forcibly thrown out of the campus, a former teacher, Mr H.B. Singh, has stated that he had retained his campus residence for two years after retiring from service and had shifted from the house on his own.
Contradicting the claims of the PAU authorities, who had released a detailed note to the Press stating that Dr Grewal was not the only person who had been evicted from the campus, but Mr H.B. Singh, Dr H.K. Verma and Dr H.S. Saimbhi had also been dealt with in the same manner, Mr H.B. Singh said he had paid the penal rent as per the rules and had stayed in the house for a period of two years.
He also contested the claims of PAU that he had been evicted during the tenure of Dr Khem Singh Gill and said he had worked in the university during Dr G.S. Kalkat’s time.
Interestingly, the PAU authorities have a different story to tell about Mr H.B. Singh. Mr Satish Kumar Goswami, Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor, said the eviction procedure that was followed in his case was the same as that in Dr Grewal’s case. “Even a team of evicting staff had gone to his house. But he requested the authorities at that very juncture that he would move his luggage from the house himself and should be given some time. So he was allowed to do so.” said Mr Goswami.
“Had Dr Grewal requested us for the same we would have even allowed him to stay there for some days,” he added. It is worth mentioning here that Dr Grewal had requested the Vice-Chancellor just after he was told to vacate the house and had even attached a cheque for Rs 10,000 as a penal rent to the university. But his request was turned down by the authorities and his cheque was returned. A copy of Dr Grewal’s request as well as the cheque is in possession of The Tribune also.
Dr Sarjit Singh Gill, Additional Director, Communication Centre, said he was not forcibly thrown out because some female members of the university were at his house and so his luggage was not forcibly thrown out of the house. Washing his hands off the controversy further he said he had written in the note what had been communicated to him by the Vice-Chancellor’s office. So he did not know whether he worked during the tenure of Dr Khem Singh Gill or Dr Kalkat.
Mr H.B. Singh, said he would take up the matter legally with the PAU for defaming him in such a manner. He further said he was not allowed by the then Vice-Chancellor to stay there but he had brought the orders of the Commissioner of Patiala Division, Mr R.P.S. Pawar, (dated December 3, 1998) with a stay on the eviction orders of the Estate Officer till January 27, 1999. He also produced a copy of the orders.
He further said he had gone to meet the SVC on Wednesday to ask him to rectify the problem. “But he asked me to go and do anything I wanted to. This is how they behave. They have unnecessarily dragged my name in a face-saving exercise,” he added.
