The DUTA and DUCKU made a successful joint intervention yesterday (19 October 2013) at Lakshmibai College to forestall the attempted termination of non-teaching employee Sh. Prem Kanth’s services by the college Governing Body. While the DUTA Dharna was on, news reached that the GB Chairman of Lakshmibai College, J. L. Jain had convened an Emergency Meeting of the Governing Body by bypassing the statutory authority of its Member Secretary (college Principal Smt. Veena Gautam) in order to pass termination orders against Sh. Prem Kanth. The Member Secretary had earlier opposed such a move due to the Chairman’s brazen disregard of procedure and protocol. Charges had been framed against Sh. Prem Kanth by the GB Chairman and an Enquiry had also been completed; however, the findings and recommendations of the Enquiry Committee had not been made available to the employee. Additionally, his reasonable request for an extension of the time given to reply to the Show Cause (on grounds of ill-health) by another fortnight was also turned down. There seemed to be an unnatural hurry on the part of the GB Chairman to conclude proceedings against Sh. Prem Kanth. On reaching the college where the GB meeting was supposed to take place, the DUTA representatives Bhupinder chaudhary (Treasurer) and Saikat Ghosh (Executive member) learned that the Chairman’s term will expire on 2 November and that in the previous meeting of the GB, he had been insistent in proposing the termination of Sh. Prem Kanth’s services despite it being an incommensurate measure for the charges which had been proved against the said employee. At the DUCKU’s call, the DUTA team moved swiftly and, in tandem with DUCKU activists, gheraoed the GB members who had assembled for the meeting. Bhupinder Chaudhary sought a dialogue with the GB members, which the GB Chairman refused at the outset. He had to subsequently yield under pressure from the agitating staff. Bhupinder Chaudhary conducted an informal meeting which started only after the Vice-Chairman of the GB (who was backing the Chairman) walked out after issuing empty threats to the DUCKU and DUTA representatives. During the meeting, the DUTA went about systematically and logically exposing the violations committed by the GB Chairman who was unable to defend himself against the charges leveled at him. Elected EC member Aditya Narayan Mishra (accompanied by DUTA Executive member C. S. Rawat) also joined in to strengthen the DUTA’s intervention. When it was established that the Chairman had displayed a personal interest in Sh. Prem Kanth’s termination and had been trying to prejudice the other GB members against him, the DUTA members asked the teachers representatives in the GB and the University’s nominee Prof. S. M. Patnaik (dept. of Anthropology), to walk out. With their active cooperation the DUTA was able to ensure that the illegal meeting could not be conducted as per the Chairman’s wishes. The College Principal was also prevailed upon to extend the time given to file the reply to the Show Cause Notice by another 30 days. Aditya Narayan Mishra and Bhupinder Chaudhary addressed the DUCKU members agitating outside the college building and briefed them about the positive outcome of the intervention. This is yet another instance of how democratic organs of the University can make themselves heard and clinch issues if we work in a united and coordinated fashion.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 07:50:12 +0000
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