Tura, July 18: Agitating pressure groups from Garo Hills which have been demanding the up-gradation of the NEHU, Tura campus as well as the provision of various facilities for the university, including the appointment of a full-fledged Pro Vice Chancellor (PVC) were on Monday, assured by authorities that all their demands were being looked into.
The assurance comes in the wake of a series of protest by several organizations under an umbrella organization which has been going on for over a month. The All Garo Hills Joint Action Committee (AGHJAC) comprising the GSU CEC led by Zikku Balgra N Marak, the GSMC besides other organizations had staged a series of agitations over one month, the latest one being in the form of a Sit-in demonstration.
A delegation of leaders from the protesting groups on Monday met with NEHU Vice Chancellor, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla, where they were assured that their demands were being processed.
“With regard to our demand for appointment of a full-fledged Pro Vice Chancellor (PVC), Shukla informed us that the appointment will be in the next Parliament Session, as per the required guidelines. It was also informed during the meeting regarding our opposition to the campus in-charge that a new one will be appointed in his place after 48 hours,” GSU CEC President Zikku Balgra said.
The Vice Chancellor is also said to have informed that advertisements for the filling up of various vacant posts as demanded, were already put out in the month of February this year and the same is under process, with written tests and interviews to be conducted soon. According to the official, the demand made by the organizations for appointment of a Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar is also being looked into.
Meanwhile, the organizations were also informed during the meeting that a committee has been constituted to look into the recommendations of ‘equal pay for equal work’ for the casual staff, a demand, which was also made by the combined groups. With regard to the demand for facilitating the issuance of necessary document like certificates at the Tura campus, Shukla assured that the same was under process and the facility would be available soon.
