Protesting PAU teachers threaten to intensify stir
Continuing its protest on the 28th day against what it called the callous attitude of the university administration and the state government, the Punjab Agricultural University Teachers’ Association (PAUTA) on Wednesday threatened to intensify their stir from Thursday if the government and varsity failed to pay heed to their genuine demands.
“The PAU continues to be the only university where faculty has not received the revised house rent , medical and city compensatory allowances, and gratuity. There is profound frustration among the faculty and calls for boycott of all work are gaining ground,” PAUTA president Dr Mandeep Singh said.
Addressing a gathering of protesting teachers at Thapar Hall, he said the association would intensify the agitation from tomorrow. Teachers of the university sported black badges to mark their protest during the regional Kisan Mela at Gurdaspur.
They were protesting to get the demands of the faculty — pending for the past 17 months — addressed. “The emphasis of the state government on education appears to be a false promise as professors of India’s premier agricultural university are agitating for being paid unrevised allowances and gratuity,” PAUTA Secretary Dr Gurmeet Singh said.
Dr Mandeep Singh said the teachers were eagerly awaiting a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, as promised by him at the Kisan Mela in Ludhiana on September 13.
