Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, August 6
Teaching and non-teaching staff at Himachal Pradesh University have warned of launching a hunger strike if their demands — including salary release, pending dues, and long-delayed career promotions — are not met. As their protest entered its fourth day, employees accused the state government of discriminatory treatment, claiming they remain unpaid while other government staff have already received their salarie
The agitation, led by the Teacher Welfare Association and the Non-Teaching Staff Union, has disrupted academic work across the campus. Classes were boycotted, and hundreds of employees staged a protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s office, chanting slogans and demanding urgent government action. Dr. Nitin Vyas, president of the Teacher Welfare Association, accused the state government of discrimination, noting that all other state employees have received their salaries on time, while university staff have been left unpaid.
“This is a clear case of administrative failure and indifference,” he said. “The government claims a lack of funds for our salaries, yet makes no effort to curb its own expenditure.”
The protest is not limited to delayed salaries. Staff are also demanding the release of 13% of their pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and arrears from the 2016 UGC pay scale. Many feel these dues may never be cleared. Adding to their frustration is a freeze on Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions since 2022. According to Dr. Vyas, this has impacted thousands of teaching staff, damaging morale and harming the university’s academic reputation.
“How can we build a world-class university if the government won’t provide even the basics?” he asked.
The associations warned that protests will intensify in the coming days if their demands are ignored. Plans are underway for a possible hunger strike and indefinite agitation.
“No one wants disruption,” said a protestor, “but we’ve been left with no choice.”
