The New Year may usher in the much-awaited cheer for teaching and non-teaching staff at Panjab University (PU), as the varsity has initiated the process to revise their salaries as per the new pay scales.
According to senior officials of the university, with the revision process underway, the staff may get their December salaries – paid in January – as per the new pay scales. Salary revision will benefit over 600 faculty members and 3,000 non-teaching staff.
While the PU senate had already adopted the 6th Punjab Pay Commission for the non-teaching staff in March, it has yet to approve implementation of the revised University Grants Commission (UGC) pay scales as per the 7th Pay Commission for the teaching staff, although already given the go-ahead by the board of finance and syndicate.
Sources said vice-chancellor (V-C) Raj Kumar will be giving his nod soon in anticipation of the senate meeting that was likely in December, where also a quick approval was most likely.
Secretary to vice-chancellor (V-C), Kashmir Singh, said, “We have received the file from the registrar’s office and hopefully it will be cleared by the vice-chancellor in the coming few days. The university is hoping that the teaching and non-teaching staff will get their December salaries as per the revised scales.”
{{/usCountry}}Secretary to vice-chancellor (V-C), Kashmir Singh, said, “We have received the file from the registrar’s office and hopefully it will be cleared by the vice-chancellor in the coming few days. The university is hoping that the teaching and non-teaching staff will get their December salaries as per the revised scales.”
{{/usCountry}}One-time burden of ₹277 crore on PU
The implementation of revised pay scales for both teaching and non-teaching staff will translate into a one-time burden of ₹277 crore due to arrears since 2016, along with ₹13.28 crore additional cost for the remaining salaries in the current fiscal.
Notably, the Punjab government had announced to implement the revised UGC pay scales as per the 7th Pay Commission on September 5 and ever since, the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) has been pressing for its implementation for PU teachers as well. The body has even written to the vice-chancellor and decided to protest outside his office on all working days from December 1.