PDKV temporary workers demand permanent jobs

NAGPUR: Several employees of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) would stage a protest even as the varsity's management council meets in the city on Friday to discuss various important issues. The protesters are people whose families had to lose their land when the university was being set up in 1969. Despite assurance from the government that alternative means of livelihood would be provided, members of these farming families have only been given some temporary jobs.
In all, 12,000 acres of land belonging to farmers from 25 villages in Akola district were acquired by the government to construct the university. Around 2,000 families that depended on these lands for making a living were promised to be rehabilitated economically. While some of them were gradually employed by PDKV, the process stopped abruptly in 2004.
"In the beginning, a provision was made for the members of the affected families to work as daily wage workers in the farms of the university. The workers were taken on the university's payroll depending on vacancies and seniority. Since the last eight years, none of the remaining workers was given a job despite there being vacant posts," said Santosh Raut, president of PDKV Prakalpagrast Sanghatana.
After 2004, the workers who were still working as daily wagers, were taken in as contractual workers with their contracts being renewed every 11 months. "In the past few years, some of these workers have passed away. Not being regular employees of the university, their families could not avail benefits like pension. Their families are now earning a livelihood by working as labourers in the farms of other villagers of the university," said Harishchandra Dolaskar, Nagpur district chief of the sanghatana.
Despite having met several ministers and officials of the university on the issue, these workers have not been able to draw attention to their cause. They wish that before giving up the reins of university, the current vice-chancellor of the university VM Mayande should fulfil his promise of sorting their problems out.