Jodhpur: Retired employees and teachers of Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU) continued their protest Tuesday for the ninth consecutive day, demanding payment of their five months’ pending pension. They staged a demonstration outside the vice-chancellor’s office.JNVU vice-chancellor Kumar Sharma reached the protest site and held talks with the pensioners, assuring them that the university was making efforts to release the pending pension at the earliest, particularly ahead of the festive season.Sharma said the university had paid around Rs 61 crore towards pensions over the past seven to eight months. The payments, he said, were made from the university’s additional income without taking loans or receiving financial assistance from the state govt.He said the university had cleared the entire amount due towards leave encashment and Seventh Pay Commission arrears. Gratuity was also being paid according to available resources, while retired employees suffering from serious illnesses were being given priority.“Once the university has financial resources equivalent to the pension liability, the pension amount will be released,” Sharma said, adding that efforts were underway to mobilise funds from different sources and clear the dues before the festive season.Sharma said JNVU’s annual pension liability was around Rs 18 crore, which had contributed to the university’s financial imbalance. He said the university had submitted a representation to the state govt, suggesting that restoring a balance between its traditional revenue sources and pension liability could help ease the crisis.The pensioners, however, remained firm on their demand for payment of all five months’ dues. Pensioners’ Society convener Ashok Vyas said the vice-chancellor had assured them that one month’s pension would be paid before Raksha Bandhan, while four months’ dues would remain pending.“Our five months’ pension is outstanding. The demonstration will continue until the entire five months’ pension is paid,” Vyas said.Pensioners’ Society president Ram Niwas Sharma had earlier claimed that the university had been informed about around Rs 173 crore lying in nearly 260 frozen bank accounts and sought clarity on the university’s available financial resources.
