Bhubaneswar, Sept. 14: Security guards deployed on the Utkal University campus today gheraoed the vice-chancellor’s office demanding immediate release of their salary, which has remained due for the last three months.

The protesters, who are ex-servicemen, rued the fact that though they discharged their duties well, the university authorities failed to pay them on time. Blaming vice-chancellor P.K. Sahoo for their financial plight, the protesters gheraoed him for more than two hours.

The placement officer of the security guards had twice written to the vice-chancellor requesting him to immediately release the pending salary. However, no action has yet been taken in this regard.

Eleven security personnel have quit their job in the past three months because of the delay in payment of salary.

“We and our families have been suffering for more than two months. How can an educational institute be so unprofessional?” asked a security guard.

Sahoo, however, said he had no papers related to engagement of the personnel. “I have no documents regarding their engagement as security persons. No appointment letters or attendance sheets have been given to me. Hence, I cannot process their salaries,” he said. The decision to engage the ex-servicemen was taken at a syndicate meeting in February to curb incidents of campus violence and student unrest. Deputing the ex-servicemen has also helped checking the entry of outsiders on the campus.

The chief security officer was promised a salary of Rs 20,000, while others were assured a package of Rs 12,000.

A varsity insider, however, said the deadlock was a result of a disagreement between the vice-chancellor and the registrar.