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Shillong, Dec. 23: The North Eastern Hill University (Nehu) turned into a battlezone today as the security officer of vice-chancellor Pramod Tandon whisked out his pistol to scare away a group of “aggressive” employees who had gheraoed the official. They were demanding restoration of the Hills Area Special Allowance and release of advance pay for December.

Tension mounted in the evening as Nehu employees blocked all exit routes to prevent the vice-chancellor from moving out of the campus in Mawlai. Tandon’s official residence is outside the campus.

The university sought help from police but till late in tonight they were not able to enter the campus as all the routes were blocked.

The agitation by the staff — both teaching and non-teaching — which has been continuing for the past few days turned aggressive today with the tussle between the employees and the vice-chancellor.

Sources said the vice-chancellor was “almost manhandled” by the angry staff. Shillong city superintendent of police Claudia Lyngwa said the employees “were so aggressive that the PSO, a Meghalaya police constable, had no other choice”.

The Nehu staff — under the banner of the Joint Action Committee — started the pen-down strike on December 11 after the decision of the university’s executive council a day before to cancel the allowance.

The agitating staff also demanded the resignation of Tandon for his “adamant stand” and a letter in this regard was also faxed to President Pratibha Patil, who is Visitor of the university.

As tomorrow is the only working day before the university closes for Christmas, the employees sought the restoration of the allowance and salary for December.

All the students have vacated their hostels with the launch of the strike which also affected practical exams of the science and technology courses. After the incident, Lyngwa rushed to Nehu and the PSO was called back. The police later strengthened security outside the campus.

“The crowd was aggressive and the PSO was the only policeman who was guarding the vice-chancellor’s office,” Lyngwa said.

She said since the guard was the lone PSO, he was doing his duty and protecting the vice-chancellor.

On December 17, the employees had staged a protest march on Nehu campus against the cancellation of the allowance by the Nehu executive council. The spokesman for the joint action committee, Prof. Apurba K. Baruah, said today that the employees were agitated as they had not availed of the allowance as well as the advance pay for December. The vice-chancellor was also not ready to meet the staff, he added.

Moreover, the employees are yet to get 60 per cent arrears pending since 2006, as per the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.