Punjabi University gets special state govt grant of Rs 20 crore

As per budgetary proposals for this fiscal, the varsity expects an income of ₹380 crore, with expenditure at ₹676 crore, leaving a massive ₹296-crore deficit

Patiala Taking serious note of poor fiscal situation of Punjabi University, Patiala, the Punjab government sanctioned a special grant of Rs 20 crore to it on Wednesday. As per budgetary proposals for this fiscal, the varsity expects an income of ₹380 crore, with expenditure at ₹676 crore, leaving a massive ₹296-crore deficit. The university also has an overdraft of ₹140 crore, which is expected to touch ₹150 crore by the end of the year.

The university has been advised to take assistance of former IAS officer Manjit Singh Narang, who has been appointed as honourary advisor to vice-chancellor. (HT file)

Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal chaired the meeting of senior functionaries of finance and higher education departments and varsity vice-chancellor Prof BS Ghuman at Chandigarh to discussed the finances of the varsity. Prof Ghuman apprised the minister about the financial crisis at the varsity and demanded an immediate financial relief package to pay monthly salaries and pensions to its employees.

“Considering the varsity demand, the finance minister has decided to provide an immediate special grant of Rs 20 crore to the university. The finance department, however, has also directed the varsity to control its expenditure and adopt immediate austerity measures,” said Rahul Bhandari, secretary higher education.

Manpreet also directed the university to take assistance of former IAS officer Manjit Singh Narang, who has been appointed as honourary advisor to vice-chancellor, to improve its financial condition. Another meeting will be held in the first week of August in which the vice-chancellor has been instructed to come up with a self-explanatory roadmap to increase income of the university from its own resources rather than banking upon state government funds to meet its committed expenditure.

The varsity has also been asked to submit a report on glaring financial irregularities as mentioned by the Punjab accountant general in its report to the higher education department on June 30.

“The vice-chancellor has been asked to hold a syndicate meeting at the earliest to take decisions on pending administrative matters, including rationalisation of teaching and non-teaching employees and other academic issues,” the secretary said.

In 2019, in an attempt to bail the varsity out from the financial crunch, the state government had increased the annual grant of the university from Rs 88 crore to Rs 93.4 crore. Even in this year’s annual budget, the state finance minister had announced a 6% increase in the annual grant for the varsity.