The Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) Non-Teaching Employees’ Association has intensified its protest against the university administration, accusing it of failing to act on key demands, including the removal of consultants and advisors and the filling of vacant posts through regular recruitment.
The employees have been staging a protest outside the university’s administrative block for the past six days, maintaining that the agitation will continue until their demands are met. On Monday, INSO leader Dr Pradeep Deswal extended support to the protesting staff.
Association vice-president Prem Singh Sajwan alleged that several individuals had been appointed as consultants and advisors over recent years, including those appointed after retirement or through political recommendations. He said these officials were drawing substantial monthly salaries while more than 1,000 non-teaching posts remained vacant.
“Instead of filling these posts through regular recruitment, the authorities have engaged workers on contract and through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam,” Sajwan said.
He added that the employees had apprised the administration of their concerns before beginning the protest, but no substantive action had followed. According to him, a meeting held with university officials two days earlier had failed to produce any outcome. “Our demands are justified and must be accepted without delay, otherwise the agitation will continue,” he said.
A general body meeting of the association was also held on Monday to discuss the ongoing issue. Association president Suresh Kaushik said the administration’s stance did not appear favourable towards the employees.
It was unanimously decided, Kaushik said, that participation in the protest would be organised on a rotational basis, with different branches joining the dharna each day. Employees from the Accounts Branch, along with union office-bearers, executive members and former presidents, took part in Monday’s protest.
Kaushik further said the administration’s rigid approach reflected a lack of seriousness towards the concerns of non-teaching staff. “We will not tolerate anti-employee policies under any circumstances and will continue to raise our demands strongly. The dharna will continue until all demands are fulfilled,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Pradeep Deswal said recruitment should not be influenced by political recommendations and argued that teaching staff should not be deployed against non-teaching posts, saying their primary role was education rather than administrative work.
He urged the university authorities to resolve the matter and accept the employees’ demands at the earliest.
