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Pending grant may impact DA payment for PU employees
PU registrar said due to the non-payment of the last instalment of salary grant by Punjab government, the varsity may face a difficulty in meeting the liability of the enhanced DA payment
Chandigarh Panjab University (PU) may face difficulties in allowing the enhancement in the dearness allowance (DA) to its employees, as over ₹7 crore worth of Punjab government’s grant money has not yet been received.
PU’s non-teaching staff body raised apprehensions over the payment of enhanced DA on Monday and wrote to chancellor M Venkaiah Naidu requesting the generation of funds and release of the benefits.
PU recently enhanced the DA for its employees from the existing 196% to 203%. As per the order, the 7% hike in DA will be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2022. However, officials said the varsity may face issues with the payment of hike in DA to its employees.
PU registrar Vikram Nayyar said that due to the non-payment of the last instalment of salary grant by Punjab government for the previous financial year, the varsity may face a difficulty in meeting the liability of the enhanced DA.
The Punjab government last month, informed the university that pending grants for the 2021-22 financial year will lapse if the reservation in promotion was not implemented soon. The adoption of reservation in promotion was approved by the senate in-principle and a panel has also been formed for its implementation.
Panjab University Staff (non-teaching) Association (PUSA), in its letter to chancellor, said the university recently issued a circular to grant the DA with effect from January 2022 to its employees, but it is also said that employees shall be given the benefit of enhanced DA only after receipt of pending grant from the government of Punjab.
“It is mentioned that the employees who depend on the salaries face difficulties in meeting the day-to-day expenses,” the letter read, adding that the varsity be requested to generate funds so that employees be given the benefit on time. The body also noted that the government of Haryana has shown willingness to provide funds to the varsity if its colleges (Haryana) are granted affiliation by PU.
Speaking on the issues, PUSA president Honey Thakur said, “Punjab government is discriminating us, PU should take steps on the interest shown by the Haryana government and focus should be on generating more funds for the University.”
The annual maintenance grants are provided by both Centre and Punjab government to PU.
PUTA requests meeting with chancellor
The Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) on Monday wrote to vice-president of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, who is the varsity’s chancellor, requesting a brief meeting with him during his visit for the annual convocation next month.The teachers’ body said they requested for a brief audience with the chancellor on behalf of the varsity teachers to discuss the concerns of teachers regarding the implementation of central service rules for employees of UT Chandigarh.
“We are quite optimistic that as the elected representatives of teachers, a PUTA delegation would be granted the opportunity of a personal hearing with the chancellor, either during the visit to PU or at Vice President’s Secretariat at New Delhi,” PUTA’s letter read.The chancellor is expected to attend the PU’s annual convocation, scheduled to be held on May 6.
