Court restrains outsourced workers from protesting near health varsity
The ongoing dispute between Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak (UHSR) and a section of its outsourced protesting employees escalated on Thursday after a court issued an order restricting protest activities on key premises.
The court issued the order on Tuesday while hearing a petition filed by the health authorities against the Anubandh Karamchari Pidit Association, the group leading the protest. In compliance with the order, the police officials removed the shamianas (temporary tents) from the dharna site in the evening. However, no protesters were present at the time.
Previously, the court—without commenting on the merits of the case at this stage—barred the association’s office-bearers, members, affiliates, agents and representatives from obstructing the movement of patients, staff, materials, buses, ambulances and medical equipment within the PGIMS premises.
The order explicitly prohibits any acts of obstruction, including blockades, gherao, installation of shamianas, dharnas (sit-ins), or chakka jam (roadblocks) within the hospital grounds, near the entrance gates and within a 200-metre radius of both PGIMS and the Health Sciences University until the next hearing, scheduled for July 1.
The outsourced workers have been staging an indefinite dharna at Vijay Park, situated on the university campus, for the past 17 days. They are demanding to be moved under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN). Currently, they are employed through a private firm, although the university pays their wages via the contractor.
“We were compelled to approach the court as the protesters continued to cause disruption despite being informed that we have already requested the state authorities to transfer them to the HKRN. The university supports the outsourced employees, but they need to wait patiently for a few more days for their demand to be addressed,” said an official of the Health University.
Interestingly, the protesters were present at the dharna site even after university security pasted copies of the court order at the location on Thursday noon. They claimed to be carrying out the agitation peacefully.
“We have also challenged the court order and are hopeful of getting relief,” said one of the protesters. He added, “The dharna begins in the morning and concludes in the evening each day.”
Prof SK Singhal, Director of PGIMS, stated that the district administration had been requested to enforce the court’s directive. “Despite being informed, the protesters remained at the dharna site until evening,” he added.
Prof HK Aggarwal, Vice-Chancellor of UHSR, reiterated that the university had already requested the state government to shift all outsourced employees to the HKRN.
Haryana Tribune