Panjab University seeks reinstatement of 6% enhancement in annual salary grant

Panjab University (PU) has written to the Punjab government seeking reinstatement of 6% enhancement in annual salary grant for the 2022-23 financial year

Panjab University (PU) has written to the Punjab government seeking reinstatement of 6% enhancement in annual salary grant for the 2022-23 financial year.

Earlier this year, the state government had conveyed to Panjab University that it had never agreed to increase the grant by 6%. (HT File)

In March 2018, the state had informed Punjab and Haryana high court that it will 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 has been sanctioned.

Earlier this year, the state government had conveyed to the varsity that it had never agreed to increase the grant by 6%.

However, the university has requested the state government that the grant for 2021-22 financial year be sanctioned at ₹34 crore instead of ₹33.7 crore and the grant for the financial year 2022-23 be sanctioned for ₹36 crore instead of ₹33.7 crore as per the agreed funding arrangement.

The matter of 6% enhancement of recurring grant-in-aid from the Punjab government was also discussed at the meeting of PU’s board of finance (BoF) in October and the nominee of the principal secretary, finance, clarified that necessary enhancement will be considered by the government while formulating revised estimates for 2022-23.

As an inter-state body corporate, PU receives annual maintenance grants from both the Centre and Punjab. As per the revised budget of the current financial year, the grant from UGC is pegged at ₹278 crore and ₹41 crore from Punjab government.

Meanwhile, the varsity has recently written to both UGC and Punjab government to enhance the share of annual grants to the varsity in view of the implementation of revised salary scales for both teaching and non-teaching staff.