Begusarai: Teaching as well as non-teaching activities in various state universities and their constituent colleges remained paralysed on Wednesday, due to the two-day pen-down strike called by the Bihar State University and College Non-Teaching Employees Federation.Lalit Narayan Mithila University Non-Teaching College Employees Association president, Ashok Kunwar, said on Wednesday that more than 15,000 non-teaching employees from various state universities and constituent colleges across the state stayed away from work in support of their 15-point charter of demands.Their demands include payment of salary and pension as per the directions of the statutory committee for pay fixation of non-teaching employees in light of the Supreme Court order; payment of salary as per the actual post held; enhancement of the retirement age to 65 on par with college and university teachers; payment of HRA, conveyance, medical and other allowances at par with state govt employees; absorption of daily-wage and outsourced employees into regular service against existing vacancies; and implementation of the old pension scheme.“The pen-down strike is the second phase of our struggle to press for our demands. If the govt fails to respond, the federation will be forced to intensify the agitation. The strike passed off peacefully in all constituent colleges across the state, including those under LNMU, Darbhanga. However, university examinations have been kept out of the strike in the larger interest of students,” he added.
