Staffers of PU’S HR centre await three months’ salary

Since University Grants Commission has not reimbursed funds to the centre since March, we have not received our salaries since April

JAYANTI DUTTA, deputy director, PU human resource development centre

CHANDIGARH: Staffers of Panjab University’s human resource development centre (HRDC) haven’t received their salaries for the last three months.

This includes faculty members and some non-teaching staff. They have raised the issue with the varsity, but to no avail.

Jayanti Dutta, deputy director of the centre, who has not received her salary since April, said, “Since the University Grants Commission (UGC) has not reimbursed the funds to the centre since March, we have not received our salaries since April. It’s not a large amount for the varsity and they can disburse our salaries till the funds are received.”

“There are no guidelines or rules which allow stopping of salary to the staff in case of nonreceipt of UGC grant,” she said.

The HRDC was established in 1987 at PU by UGC to provide in-service training to college and university lecturers.

The centre receives funds from UGC for all its activities, including salaries of staff.

The staffers have even written to vice-chancellor Raj Kumar, but no step has been taken so far.

The letter said that receiving UGC grant should not be linked to payment of salary, since HRDC was a part of the university and grants were received only on reimbursement basis.

Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) also wrote to the V-C. “The faculty and staff at HRDC have not been paid salary for the last three months, causing enormous problems in an already difficult situation. It is therefore requested that necessary steps may be taken to release the salaries,” PUTA’S letter said.

SK Tomar, director of PU’S HRDC, said, “The salaries have been delayed as funds have not been disbursed by UGC. We had already sent them this year’s proposal and tentative utilisation certificate, and hope to receive the grant by August.”