Kavre, January 22

Three weeks after the agitating side padlocked Dhulikhel-based Kathmandu University, there is no sign that the lockout will end anytime soon.

The agitators — KU Lecturers’ Association and KU Employees’ Association — however, issued a joint statement yesterday and announced a halt to the scheduled additional protest programmes.

“We’ve decided to halt additional protest programmes declared earlier after the administration informed that it would address our demands at the special meeting scheduled for next week, but there hasn’t be any decision to end the lockout, so far,” said KU Employees’ Association Chairperson Surendra KC, adding the lockout wouldn’t end until their demands were met.

The agitating side had padlocked the Dean’s Office, Examination Controller’s Office, Technical Training Centre and Administrative Building on January 1 to pressure the university administration to fulfil its demand.

Before starting the protest, it had held a press conference saying that it was ‘compelled’ to resort to the lockout to end mismanagement at the university after the vice-chancellor, dean and registrar did not implement past agreements reached with them despite frequent reminders.

For the past six months, the agitators have frequently taken to agitation putting forth various demands. Once they had ended the lockout of the university after three weeks following assurance from the university administration.

Among the demands of the agitators are an end to financial irregularities at the university, appointment of lecturers and employee on contract basis, introduction or amendment of rules that would ensure regular professional development and incentives for lecturers and staffers.

Besides, the agitators have also demanded that the university devise concrete plan to upgrade academic quality of the university and recognise professional unions of the university.

KU Lecturers’ Association president Dr Bedmani Dahal accused the university administration of being apathetic towards the implementation of past agreements