Administrative work at the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), Murthal, was disrupted on Monday as the non-teaching staff union staged a dharna (sit-in protest) to press for their long-pending demands. The protest saw significant support from outside the campus, with sarpanches from 10 neighbouring villages and district-level office-bearers of the Sarva Karamchari Sangh (SKS) joining the agitation.
Leading the protest, Union President Suresh Kumar Putthi stated that the employees have been waiting for the approval of service rules that have been stalled since March 2023. “Despite repeated assurances, the university administration has failed to address our core issues,” Putthi said. The union’s charter of demands includes the creation of new posts in the second phase of recruitment, the removal of “unnecessary objections” related to employee leave, and the immediate repair of dilapidated hostels and residential quarters.
The employees are also demanding the removal of anomalies in the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme, the operationalisation of a day-care centre, and the completion of pending parking projects. Protesters expressed resentment over the lack of response from the Vice-Chancellor’s office. “If the administration does not take concrete action soon, we will be forced to intensify our struggle,” warned a union representative. The sarpanches present at the site assured the staff that they would raise the matter with the state government to ensure a swift resolution.
