Chandigarh: Traffic woes echo in PUTA meet
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), during their field visit to PU, Chandigarh, last year, had flagged the traffic congestion issue and recommended that PU should resolve it
Traffic woes at Panjab University (PU) were the highlight of the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) general body meeting held on Friday. This was the first general body meeting PUTA held after its election for the 2024-25 term. The meeting took place on the concluding day of the PU zonal youth fest, during which the campus witnessed traffic jams by outsider SUV vehicles throughout the day.
The theme was introduced by PUTA president AS Naura, who said the traffic problem has been discussed with the authorities. “We have to come up with a framework and a working model. The issue will worsen in the years to come,” he added.
A member of the opposition group in the PUTA elections, Sudhir Mehra, from the English department, said by Naura’s words, it seems that PU has no mechanism in place for managing traffic. “Hostellers are not allowed to keep cars. Last year, in November, the dean students welfare had said that hostellers will not be allowed to keep cars. No progress has been made almost a year later,” he added.
Discussing the traffic problem, Pankaj Srivastava from the philosophy department said, “Big cars are always parked in the space behind our department. Even teachers also don’t get the space to park their vehicles.” Akshaya Kumar from the English department said discussions should be held on why the complex traffic issue has not been solved till now.
Senator and PUTA member Jayanti Dutta said, “Taking vehicles inside the Patiala University campus is not allowed. The same situation persists in Punjab Engineering College. The UT administration had asked us the ways to solve Chandigarh’s traffic problems. What answer can we give when we can’t solve PU’s traffic problems?” Dutta added that PUTA is the right body for taking this issue forward.
Naura added, “Teachers must also take initiative. Everyone knows I use my bicycle for travelling within the campus. All teachers must lead by example.”
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), during their field visit to PU last year, had flagged the traffic congestion issue and recommended that PU should resolve it.
A traffic management committee, constituted by the vice-chancellor, had recommended separate parking areas for outsiders, setting up of a gate towards University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS) and varsity-managed e-rickshaw services. However, these have not been implemented.
Meanwhile, other issues discussed in the PUTA general body meeting included the release of pending arrears for teachers, promotions of dental faculty and campus cleanliness. Irregularities in Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions were raised by the audit officer. Members also expressed concern over the senate election issue.