Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 19: Up in arms against alleged dilly-dally attitude of the Jammu University authorities towards their demands, the JU non-teaching employees today held a strong protest demonstration in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s secretariat.
Led by Pawan Singh Bhau, president of JU Non-Teaching Employees Association, the protesting employees raised slogans against the university authorities and threatened to launch indefinite strike if no decision is taken on their demands before Diwali. Some of the agitating employees were bearing black badges during the protest.
The protest demonstration continued for more than an hour during which leaders of the Non-Teaching Employees Association addressed the gathering and strongly criticized the JU authorities for their alleged negative approach towards their long pending and genuine demands, a number of which have already been agreed upon in principle.
While addressing the gathering, president Pawan Singh Bhau alleged that a coterie was misleading the Vice-Chancellor, who was discriminating against non-teaching employees for the unknown reasons. “Despite submission of charter of demands and thereafter three successive reminders on the same, the authorities have not taken any step on our issues,” he said.
Pertinent to mention that a delegation of the Association, led by its president, had a heated exchange of words with the Vice-Chancellor Prof R D Sharma during a meeting yesterday following which a decision to hold token protest was taken.
The protesting Non-teaching employees are demanding conversion of Rs 4200 pay scale into Rs 4600, release of pending arrears of Junior Assistants and Section Officers, etc.
During the protest demonstration, organizing secretary Vikas Langar announced that executive body of the Association will meet tomorrow at 2 p.m wherein further course of action will be decided.