The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday pulled up the Punjab government for failing to increase its annual grant to Panjab University, during the resumed hearing on the issue of financial crisis being faced by the varsity.
Reasoning that 90% colleges affiliated to Panjab University (PU) are in Punjab, the high court (HC) asked the state government to enhance its grant, which stands at Rs 27 crore at present.
Earlier, during the hearing, PU vice-chancellor professor Arun Grover told the court that the Punjab government had been providing Rs 20 crore annually to the university since 2001. He said the recent enhancement in the grant to Rs 27 crore was not in proportion to the increased expenditure of the varsity. Prof Grover told the HC that PU generates Rs 293 crore from fees and other resources, while the Centre provides Rs 207 crore annually, but the amount is not enough to meet the ever-increasing expenses.
He said an enhanced grant and its timely disbursal by Punjab will come as a relief to PU.
{{/usCountry}}He said an enhanced grant and its timely disbursal by Punjab will come as a relief to PU.
{{/usCountry}}Affiliation of Haryana colleges on cards
During the hearing, the Haryana government apprised the HC bench that it had sent a proposal to the Union home ministry regarding affiliation of colleges in the state to PU. The Union ministry counsel confirmed that they had received the proposal to allow affiliation of certain colleges in Haryana to PU and the decision will be taken soon. The HC asked the Centre to expedite the decision.