PATIALA : 16 May (Press Ki Taquat Bureau) : Dr. Harminder Singh Khokhar, a senior dalit officer of the Punjabi University, Patiala met Sh. Vijay Sampla, the Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) at Circuit House here today. Dr. Khokhar alleged that the Punjabi University authorities are discriminating him on caste-base.
Dr. Khokhar alleged that that he is working as Assistant Public Relations Officer (APRO) on regular basis since 2001 with highest academic and professional qualification and experience in Punjabi University, Patiala. He further stated that prior to this assignment he was working as Indian Information Service (IIS-98 batch) after selection through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), New Delhi. Despite the completion of 20 years of regular service of the University and more than three years government of India job, the Punjabi University authorities has not given a single promotion to him, he added.
Dr. Khokhar said that the charges of all vacant post of heads of teaching and non-teaching departments are given to the next senior most officer of the same department. But in case of the vacant post of Public Relations Officer the charge has been given to a person on probation from another department, who is junior to him with less academic & professional qualification and experience. The charge of the post of Public Relations Officer has not been given to him, because he belongs to scheduled castes.
Dr. Khokhar expressed his grievance that Punjabi university has not framed any policy or rules for giving regular promotion to him to the post of Public Relations Officers (PROs), so far with the result that his career was stagnated.
He alleged that the Punjabi university has adopted the Punjab government’s promotion rules for all non-teaching post, but he is discriminated being a scheduled castes by the university authorities.
During this meeting the Chairman of NCSC Sh. Vijay Sampla given him a patience hearing and assured that this matter will be taken up with the Vice Chancellor of the Punjabi University, Patiala and justice will be provided to him.
