Punjabi varsity seeks immediate disbursal of ₹90-crore grant

PATIALA: Unable to meet its committed expenditure, including payments of salaries and pensions, Punjabi University has approached the state finance department for immediate disbursal of Rs 90 crore which was allocated to the varsity in the government’s recent annual budget.

The varsity also wants the department to release its monthly grant of Rs 12 crore so that the salaries and pensions can be paid immediately.

It may be mentioned that despite the change in guard on the top posts, the financial crisis continues to deepen at Punjabi University as several teachers, pensioners and non-teaching unions are presently protesting on the campus over the demands of releasing March’s salary.

On March 8, the Punjab government had come to the rescue of cash-strapped Punjabi University with its announcement of a special grant of Rs 90 crore in the annual budget presented by state finance minister Manpreet Badal.

Varsity registrar Varinder Kumar Kaushik said they have received an official letter from the finance department regarding allocation of Rs 90 crore to the varsity.

“We have responded to the finance department to immediately release the special funds along with the monthly grant,” he said.

The registrar said the employees will be given salaries at the earliest as meetings are on with senior officials at government level.

The joint action committee comprising Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA), A-class officers association, non-teaching employees’ union and pensioners staged a protest march on the varsity campus on Tuesday over the ongoing financial crisis.

The protesters have sought immediate financial bailout package and disbursement of salaries and pensions on the first date of every month.

Rajdeep Singh from JAC said the government should urgently provide financial relief to the university.

“The salaries are delayed every month and employees have to protest to get their monthly salaries. The government is not at all considering the demand of varsity administration to provide immediate financial aid. Moreover, no heed is paid to varsity’s demand of increasing annual government grant, which is presently only 12% of total budget,” he said.