E-Paper
Chandigarh: Monitor work of PU South Campus auditorium, recommends BoF
The minutes of the meeting which was held on October 4 have now been released and will be put before the PU syndicate for approval, which will meet on October 28
The Board of Finance (BoF) has recommended that a monitoring mechanism be put in place for the completion of the multi-purpose auditorium in the South Campus of Panjab University (PU), which has been ongoing for over 10 years now.
The minutes of the meeting which was held on October 4 have now been released and will be put before the PU syndicate for approval, which will meet on October 28.
As per the minutes, while discussing the budgetary provision for the completion of the multi-purpose auditorium, members desired to know about the timelines for the completion of the proposed work. The same were placed before the members on the table.
The members suggested that a monitoring mechanism be put in place to ensure the quality of work and adherence to the timelines for the completion of the work. PAU vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig said necessary steps for the same are being taken. Regarding the concerns of members about the post-completion operation and maintenance of the auditorium, the V-C informed the members that the senate has already taken a decision to set up a section 8 company to take care of the operation and maintenance of this project so that it can function as a self-sustaining unit. She further apprised the members that the university is in touch with the UT administration to run this project jointly as a facility for the tricity as a whole so that a project of this magnitude can be optimally utilised.
The project was inaugurated in 2009 by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Since then around ₹80 crore has already been spent on the project while it still remains an eyesore on the campus. PU authorities plan to complete it within the next two years.
Over the years, the construction work of the auditorium has remained tumultuous. In 2018, ₹80-lakh fine was imposed on the contractor of the auditorium for delaying the project. With a seating capacity of over 2,400, it will have a main auditorium with three small seminar halls able to accommodate 130 to 600 people. The total covered area will be 1.4 lakh sq ft and the auditorium will include a dining area, parking area, approach roads, substation, power backup, AC plant, elevators, firefighting system and CCTV cameras. It will have a VIP workshop, green rooms and rehearsal rooms as well.
Meanwhile, BOF in its meeting had cleared ₹752.23 crore as a revised estimate for the 2023-24 session and ₹789.63 crore as the estimate for the 2024-25 session, which will also now be put before the syndicate on Saturday. Recently, the Union ministry of education had also written to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to review PU’s financial position and examine the requests for enhancing the grant given to it for implementation of the revised pay scales.
