Punjab govt launches probe into PTU recruitment irregularities

TECHNICAL TEACHERS’ WELFARE ORGANISATION HAD ALLEGED THAT THE VICE-CHANCELLOR APPOINTED HIS CLOSE AIDES ON MANY POSTS

JALANDHAR: The Punjab government has launched a probe into the alleged irregularities in recruitments at Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKG-PTU), Jalandhar.

As per information, the technical education department had received a complaint from the technical teachers’ welfare organisation, stating that IKG-PTU vice-chancellor (V-C) Prof Ajay Kumar Sharma had illegally appointed his close aides to various posts at the university. It was further alleged that even the selection committee consisted of his close friends.

The deputy director of the state technical education department issued a letter (documents with Hindustan Times) on July 16, stating that the board of governors’ chairman SK Salwan and vice-chairman Anurag Verma, who is also the technical education principal secretary, have decided to constitute a fact-finding committee to look into this matter. The committee comprises Guru Nanak Dev University V-C Jaspal Singh Sandhu and former GNDU V-C Jairoop Singh. mostly from Himachal Pradesh, on contract basis by relaxing the norms. The recruitments were done through a private manpower agency after terminating the contract of an agency manned by the state government.

The complainants stated that nearly 110 persons have been appointed as guest faculty with a fixed salary of Rs. 60,000 and paid leave even as guest faculty members are usually paid on an hourly or lecture basis with a remuneration of not more than Rs. 30,000 a month.

“The V-C conducted the interview for the post of dean-cumprofessor at NIT Jalandhar in March this year. Some of the candidates were declared ineligible after which they staged a protest. But a few days before the interview, they were made eligible for the post which shows the corruption in the system. No representative of the government was part of the interview panel, which leaves no doubt that the interview was a parody,” the complaint read.

‘ANOMALY IN HIRING OF EVEN SECURITY MEN’

Another complaint was filed by Hoshiarpur resident Arsh Kamal Singh Saini to the Prime Minister of India. The letter, later received by the Punjab technical education department, stated that PTU had been recruiting security personnel through a private company, SIS, even as the rules state that the hiring has to be done through government agency ‘PESCO’ (Punjab Ex-servicemen Corporation). “The V-C wanted to please a private firm for his own gains and use it as a platform to make appointments of his close ones,” Kamal had stated.

‘V-C GOT HIMSELF A LAVISH OFFICE’

It was further stated that even though the V-C already had an attractive office, he shifted to a new one, which cost the university more than a crore. Besides, the administrative officers of the varsity are provided free conveyance, which puts a financial strain on the university.

BID TO MALIGN IMAGE: VARISTY OFFICIAL

When contacted, IKG-PTU spokesperson Rajneesh Sharma said, “This is an unprecedented attempt by anti-university and anti-government elements to malign the image of the university.”