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Panjab University fund crunch: Punjab governor chairs meet, to take call on June 5
Haryana is willing to offer money to the university to meets its expenses but is demanding affiliation from PU for its colleges in the districts of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar
Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit will take a final call on issues related to Panjab University (PU) on June 5.
This was discussed at a meeting on Thursday morning in which the Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar were present. PU vice-chancellor (VC) Renu Vig was also present.
According to sources at the meeting, the financial constraints that PU is under was the main issue discussed. Haryana is willing to offer money to the university to meets its expenses but is demanding affiliation from PU for its colleges in the districts of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar, it is learnt.
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UT administrator-cum-Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit chaired the meeting on the direction of Union home minister Amit Shah during the recent zonal meeting. Shah asked the UT administrator to convene a meeting at his level to sort out the issues as he is head of the UT administration.
While both the states put forward their points, their resolution was not possible in the meeting held on Thursday. It is expected that the governor will take a final call at the meeting on June 5.
As an inter-state body, PU annually receives maintenance grants from both the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Punjab government. The university had written to the Punjab government before the state budget was presented this year.
In a letter to the principal secretary, department of higher education, Punjab, on March 28, apart from the ₹334 crore liability, the state was informed that there are development needs of the university amounting to ₹117.62 crore. In the 2023-24 session, there was a shortfall of ₹4.25 crore that had been carried forward from last year.
In the last reminder sent to Punjab, it was reiterated that the government had not even released the grant with 6% annual enhancement as agreed for 2022-23. In March 2018, the state had informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that it would be enhancing the grant to PU by 6% in the 2018-19 financial year. Thereon, it had increased the grant by 6% till 2021-22, when the enhancement was 4.81%. However, for 2022-23, no enhancement had been sanctioned.
The university has a recurring liability of both teaching and non-teaching employees, including pensions at ₹56.23 crore. The arrears of pay revision from January 1, 2016, including pensions, will amount to ₹278.17 crore. The university needs a total ₹334.4 crore in funds for this.
PU has also written to the UGC to enhance its grant for it to implement the revised pay-scales but the Centre in a recent communication refused to further revise this and stated that the university is given salary grants and as agreed to by the ministry of education, this is increased by 6% every year.
