Protest at North Bengal University demanding salary increment

Siliguri: Sara Bangla Trinomool Siksha Bandhu Samity of North Bengal University (NBU) staged a protest demonstration at the university demanding 16 per cent salary increment. They blocked the interim vice-chancellor (V-C), registrar and other staffers inside the administrative building for hours.

Meanwhile, a huge police force, Central forces and SSB officials, including DIG of SSB went to the university on this day. A huge chaos erupted at the university due to the protest.

“We have started our protest on Thursday. We want the university to give us 10 per cent DA and increase our salary 6 per cent. We also want the authority to increase the salary of contractual workers and provide medical facilities to all the staff, including temporary staff of the university,” said Ranjit Ray, joint convenor of Sara Bangla Trinomool Siksha Bandhu Samity.

The Registrar communicated to the agitators that as of now the wages will be incremented by 10 per cent. The agitators are demanding a 16 per cent hike. There are about 400 members of the organisation. On this day, almost all the members staged a protest in front of the administrative block of the university. They threatened to continue their protest.

Meanwhile, CM Ravendran, the interim V-C of the university had called an executive committee (EC) meeting of the university on Monday. Dhiraj Kumar Trivedi, Solicitor General, governor nominee and EC member, went to the university for the meeting.

However, as per the rule, interim V-C cannot conduct EC meeting. The meeting was cancelled as the state government denied permission for the meeting.

Swapan Kumar Rakshit, joint registrar of NBU said: “The State government denied permission for the meeting. Therefore, the V-C has cancelled the meeting.

Only two EC members were present at the university for the meeting.” He further said that the V-C scheduled to hold a meeting with the DIG of SSB on Monday; therefore the SSB officials went to the university. Central forces were spotted on both the gates of the administrative building of NBU. On the other hand, Swapan Kumar Rakshit, joint registrar, has submitted his resignation letter to the V-C. He said: “There is no permanent registrar, therefore, I was given the responsibility of registrar.

As I am unable to handle much pressure for some physical problem, I wanted to resign from the post. I had submitted my resignation letter to V-C, but he didn’t accept it yet.”