HYDERABAD, July 29: The administration of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam has rejected the demands of agitating employees while describing them as unjust and said that three employees of the action committee’s have been issued final show cause notices under the Removal from Service Ordinance.

Addressing a news conference at the university, Registrar Riyasat Ali Kubar along with deans of the university’s faculties spoke at length to defend himself and vice-chancellor Bashir Sheikh.He distributed a ‘fact-sheet’ to give a comparative study of the 39-point charter and the university’s response to them according to which the demands had either already been accepted; stood resolved; not in accordance with university’s rules, under consideration by the syndicate, etc.

The registrar advised media personnel to be objective in their reporting vis-à-vis facts of the issues relating to university and employees.

He accused agitating employees of blackmailing and falling prey to their ego which was hampering a just solution of whole crisis.

He said the so-called union leaders, who avoid working, had levelled allegations against successive university administrations in order to derail academic and examination process and to put the university’s credibility at stake on the eve of convocations and international conferences.Speaking about employees’ demands, he said that it was in January this year when 15 demands were presented followed by another 17 the next month and now a pack of 39 demands is floated which seems to be unending and it showed that employees don’t had permanent problems.

“University always takes decisions given budgetary allocations but despite that VC had resolved important issues of employees,” he said while referring to the upgradation of 200 technical staff members, raise in medical allowance which cost the university Rs25 million, raise in pension/security guards’ allowance and regularisation of kitchen employees.

He said after the ban on unions in 2001, the said union formed a welfare trust which was registered nowhere.“The present union leadership has always placed successive university heads in trouble and strikes beginning from April 1995 continue to date, off and on,” he said.

He questioned the modus operandi of employees to impose strike on employees and claimed that those who don’t follow them were tortured.

He defended his position and said that he was already in grades-19 to qualify for 20. He said that nowhere in projects people are appointed on grade basis as they always have fixed salaries provisions.

He rejected employees’ claim about water conservation project as well as running of private school saying it was a no loss no profit project which was looked after by Dr. Fateh Mohammad.

He defended appointment of Saghir Ahmed Sheikh, a close relative of VC, saying he was appointed in an inter-disciplinary subject, which was approved by university’s syndicate.

He said incorrect references of personal relations of VC had been mentioned in appointments by employees.

Regarding commission of Rs160 million, he said that tenders were floated and lowest bids were accepted that too after negotiation process.

He said that attempts were made to defuse situation but employees were hell-bent on seeking removal of VC.

He said that it was beyond university’s authority to give plots to 1600 employees.He said three action committee leaders, including Hussain Bux Veesar, Karam Ali Punhoo, and Abdul Majeed Rashdi had been given final show cause notices under Removal from Service Ordinance as they failed to reply to an earlier one within seven days.

“We are seeking legal advice as well and we would follow the law and the ordinance regarding any disciplinary action,” he said.

“We send reports to our chancellor daily and he has empowered us to resolve the issue in a respectable manner,” he said.

Registrar’s claims dismissed

Protesting employees of the Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam on Tuesday dismissed claims of the university’s registrar that he was sincere to pull the university out of crisis by accepting demands.

Speaking to a group of journalists at the entrance of university, the action committee leader, Hussain Veesar, accused the university registrar, Mr Riasat Ali, of always breaching the trust of employees.

“He is the man who always backed out of commitments made to employees,” he said.

Earlier, he said, everything was decided in writing on five occasions.

He said a committee comprising deans was also formed and then university syndicate intervened in the matter but in vain.

He said the university employees suspended their long march towards the mazar of Benazir Bhutto following a commitment by the campus administration but their problems remained unresolved.

He called for formation of a committee comprising two writers, one retired justice and one former VC to intervene in the matter in order take a decision.—Correspondent