Bhopal: Officially on strike, the non-teaching employees of Barkatullah University prefer loitering around the campus than participating in the protest which entered eighth day on Wednesday. The protest venue wore a deserted look as no employee was found demonstrating in front of ‘Satya Bhawan’. Non-teaching employees of the state universities are keeping away from their work to press the government to consider their demands
When the reporter of the free press visited the campus around 12 pm, no one was sitting in the protest on mats laid in front of ‘Satya Bhawan.’ Empty mats greeted this correspondent when he visited the protesting venue at around 12 noon. The non-teaching staff was seen roaming around the campus.
With all the non-teaching employees away from work, official and academic work at the university has been affected. Results of different courses are pending, while the administration has been forced to reschedule the examinations.
However, the students are the worst sufferers. “I was in the office of finance department to see the progress of files pertaining to our demand of implementing seventh pay commission recommendations. I was accompanied by association president Thakre, said BU employee association general secretary Dheerendra Singh defending himself. If other members were not protesting and instead roaming, we will look into the matter, he added.
Meanwhile, a meeting of office bearers of association of state varsities was held at Barkatullah University to prepare future course of action. Registrar UN Shukla who also attended the meeting stated that that only protest would not yield results.
The association should meet minister of higher education, finance minister and officials to press their demands, said Shukla. Strike has paralyzed the working of the seven state varsities. The employees are on strike demanding implementation of recommendation of seventh pay commission report, providing pay-scale and time-scale, increasing medical allowances from Rs 1000 per month to Rs 3000 per month and other demands.
