Non-teaching staff in Univerty, College withdraw month-long strike

Ranchi, Aug 10 (UNI) The non-teaching staff of universities and colleges in Jharkhand today called off their month-long agitation with the state government, which assured them of taking up grievances in the Cabinet soon.

Education Minister Bandhu Tirkey also announced to give salaries to them as per the Fifth Pay Commission with effect from September next.

The announcement was made after a meeting with the Minister and the Jharkhand Viswavidyalay Mahavidyalay Karmachari Mahasangh here.

The Minister said the agitators's other 20-point charter of demands would be taken up for perusal in the Cabinet.

On August six, agitated over non-teaching staff-sponsored stir students here tried to forcefully open the gates of Ranchi University and some other colleges, leading to a scuffle with the strikers.

The non-teaching staff of the university and colleges in Jharkhand were on strike in support of their 20-point charter of demands, including hike in salary as per the Fifth Pay Commission and raising of retirement age.

There was a scuffle between the strikers and the students as about 250 of them from different organisations tried to enter the RU, protesting the impasse in the educational institutions.

The offices and classrooms were also ransacked.

Many of the students also went to other colleges of the RU to protest the strike.

The strike had also affected Siddo Kanho University in Dumka and Vinova Bhave University in Hazaribagh.

UNI