E-Paper
PU: Only 32% non-teaching posts filled by regular staff
In the seven categories of administrative staff, regular appointments have been made on only 727 out of the total 2,268 sanctioned posts at PU
With only 32% non-teaching posts filled by regular employees, Panjab University (PU) has been reeling under an acute staff crunch.
In the seven categories of administrative staff, regular appointments have been made on only 727 out of the total 2,268 sanctioned posts. Even as a number of employees have been hired on temporary basis on the remaining 1,541 posts, the shortage has resulted in overburdening the present staff over the years.
In fact, no fresh recruitment has taken place for years, and the issue was recently flagged by the Panjab University Staff (Non-teaching) Association in a letter to vice-chancellor Raj Kumar.
Existing staff overburdened
In the letter, the association said that fresh recruitments are required against the vacant posts as the existing staff has been overburdened. According to its members, the last recruitment took place in 2013.
Association president Honey Thakur said: “The workload on the present employees has increased due to the staff shortage. The varsity should at least fill the vacant posts in the feeding cadre. The number of courses as well as students has increased but the manpower has not increased over all these years.”
Manpower audit underway
The varsity has already initiated a manpower audit to rationalise the non-teaching staff. According to an official, who did not wish to be named, the audit is being conducted by the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration.
“The audit report is expected in a few months and it will reveal the actual need of staff in the university,” said the official.
PU registrar Vikram Nayyar said: “Besides manpower audit, the varsity has also written to the education ministry for permission to fill the posts that fell vacant in the past three years.”
