Patiala, October 17: Teachers, under the banner of the Punjabi University Contractual Teachers Association (PUCTA), took out a begging drive in the Punjabi University campus and other areas of Patiala on Monday. The teachers collected around Rs 4,700 during the begging drive.
The protesters have been demanding regularisation in their services. Contractual assistant professors and instructors have alleged that vice-chancellor Prof BS Ghuman is claiming that the university is facing financial crisis.
“To end the ‘crisis,’ we have launched begging drives. We are asking for money from shopkeepers, students, university teachers, and commoners,” one of the protesters said.
The protesters are demanding regularisation of their services. The protesters alleged that the university is paying them a meagre salary of Rs 20,500 to instructors and Rs 30,000 to the assistant professors per month.
An assistant professor of journalism at a Rampura Phul college, Simranjit Kaur, said that she and 10 of her colleagues have been coming to the dharna site at the Punjabi University since October 1. They have to pay Rs 4,000 as transportation charges.
“I have spent Rs 5,000 in the past two weeks as transportation charge to participate in the protest. In these days, I have not even had time to talk to my children as I return home really late at night,” she added.
Puspender Singh, a contractual assistant professor at Ghanaur, said that he, along with other protesters, have been managing all facilities of food and other requirements since the start of the protest.
“Today, we asked for ‘alms’ from students and other locals. Most teachers have not even come forward to give us the collected amount, which shows how much they fear the authorities,” he added.
Jagdeep Singh, a contractual instructor, of a Barnala College, said if the varsity does not accept their demands, the students will also join the protest.
Meanwhile, some student organisations, came in contact with the protesters, and extended their support to the teachers in this ongoing standoff.
Over 150 contractual assistant professors and contractors from 14 colleges affiliated to the university, its neighbourhood campuses and main campus have been protesting on the Punjabi University campus seeking job regularisation.
The Punjabi University constituent colleges are located in Mansa, Sardulgarh, Bahadurpur, Barnala, Benra (Dhuri), Chuni Kalan, Dhilwan, Ghanaur, Ghudda, Jaito, Miranpur, and Moonak.
Director of constituent colleges of Punjabi University, professor Kirandeep Kaur, said that they have already increased the salaries of contractual assistant professors from Rs 21,600 to Rs 30,400 and of instructors from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,500.
“At present, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has restricted regularisation of contractual employees. After getting a clearance, we will think about it,” she added.
Source Hindustan Times
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