Employees’ body to meet CM Badal

JALANDHAR: In an ongoing indefinite strike by employees of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University ( IKG- PTU), its Mulazim front will hand over a memorandum to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal over their demand to review the decision regarding the transfer of funds from the university, for the establishment of Maharaja Ranjit Singh State Technical University (MRSSTU) in Bathinda.

The employees, who are sitting on an indefinite strike since seven days, have planned to raise the agenda in upcoming monsoon session.

Kamlesh Kumar, president of Mulazim front, said the front had requested the government to review its decision to transfer 50% of the assets of IKG PTU to newly constituted MRSSTU.

“An amount of `75 crore has been transferred to the new university in addition to the projects located at Mansa, Nandgarh, Arniwala, Sikhwala, Rajpura, wherein IKG PTU has already spent more than ` 60 crore,” he added. “As per PTU Act, the state government is to provide financial support of `2 crore per year, but even after 18 years of establishment of PTU, meagre amount of a few lakhs has been provided,” he further said.

The president of the front demanded that Section 20 (2) of MRRSSTU Act 2014 (Punjab Act No 5 of 2015) should be deleted which states that the state government may transfer from all available funds of PTU Jalandhar to MRRSSTU, Bathinda in the ratio of 50:50, IKG PTU employee’s representation in board of governor and other statutory committees might be considered and to provide financial assistance to IKG PTU for smooth and timely development of its new campuses, as required. However, on Friday evening, Mulazim front of IKG-PTU submitted a memorandum to BJP state president Kamal Sharma in this regard. Sharma assured to provide solutions at the earliest. HTC