E-Paper
PU stops financial benefits under ACP, AFU schemes for now
If a non-teaching employee of the University does not get promoted within a certain time period, PU provides financial benefit to them under these two schemes
Panjab University (PU) has decided to stop processing cases under the Assured Career Progression (ACP) and Assured Financial Upgradation (AFU) schemes for now, based on the observations of the local audit department of the Chandigarh administration.
If a non-teaching employee of the University does not get promoted within a certain time period, PU provides financial benefit to them under these two schemes. Under ACP scheme, benefit is provided at the 4th, 9th and 14th year of service and under AFU, it is provided at 10th, 20th and 30th year of service. PU has adopted AFU (passed by board of finance) in lieu of ACP and both schemes are the same in nature.
The varsity has also decided to withdraw cases where benefit has been granted under these two schemes on or after July 1, 2021. PU will not process cases under these schemes till further clarification from the Punjab government.
The Punjab government had in December last year said that the benefits of ACP/DACP schemes should not be extended to employees whose benefits are due on July 1, 2021, or thereafter.
The local audit department of the UT administration in its letter to PU registrar requested the varsity to instruct the establishment section to not take up cases under these schemes till further clarification from Punjab. The audit department also maintained that the benefit given to any employee on or after July 1, 2021, be reviewed as well.
All regular non-teaching employees working in the university are eligible for the benefit under ACP and AFP if they do not get promoted. For non-teaching staff, the service rules of Punjab are followed by PU.
President of Panjab University Staff (non-teaching) Association (PUSA), Honey Thakur, said, “Since the Punjab government has issued directions to stop processing cases under ACP, AFU should have not been stopped as it is the university’s own scheme.”
PU registrar Vikram Nayyar said that the university will seek clarification from Punjab on the matter.
