Tribune News Service
Bathinda, December 13
The indefinite strike of faculty members, including professors, agri-scientists and researchers, under the banner of Punjab Agriculture University Teachers’ Association (PAUTA) has entered third week on Monday.
With faculty members suspending work continuously for 21 days, research work, academics of students, training camps of farmers and other important works related to the agriculture sector has been getting affected on daily basis these days.
More than 850 faculty members, including professors, researchers and agri-scientists among others, have been observing a strike for the past over three weeks. The teachers’ association members have been demanding that the state government must provide them pay scale benefits on the patterns of the Seventh Pay Commission Report recommendations, without de-linking from the UGC as it would affect their prospects of promotions and funding.
Apart from academics of students, it’s the farmers who are getting directly affected by the strike. They are not getting required information on agricultural techniques or their queries related to farming are not getting addressed. Moreover, training of farmers and experts and awareness camps are also not taking place on account of the strike.
Notably, work remains suspended at seven Regional Research Stations, 18 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs-extensions centres), four seed farms (production centres) and 15 farm advisory service centres functioning under the aegis of the Punjab Agricultural University.
Talking to The Tribune, Dr Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, state secretary of the PAUTA said: “Training sessions administered to farmers and agricultural experts at our designated skill development centres on various crops, vegetables, food processing, horticulture floriculture and fruits among other branches have been lying suspended. Other vital research projects that would be instrumental in improving seed varieties and other agricultural techniques have also came to a grinding halt for now. It is ultimately a loss to the farmers in the state. Training sessions or workshops of agricultural development officers (ADOs) who further train farmers in judicious farming techniques as part of the TTT (training the trainer program) have also been lying suspended.”
Three weeks on, PAU employees' indefinite strike hits research work
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