Board of Finance clears Rs 578-cr budget for next fiscal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 13

The Board of Finance of Panjab University has passed Rs 577.77 crore expenditure budget for 2019-20, a rise of 5.36% from the last session.

The revised estimate for 2018-19 is Rs 548.37 crore, whereas for 2017-18 it was Rs 511.32 crore.

The income for 2019-20 would be Rs 577.32 crore. There is a gap of Rs 45 lakh in income and expenditure.

Expenditure

The salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff would cost Rs 361.52 crore in 2019-20 (62% of the total expenditure), which is a rise of 6.11% from revised estimate of Rs 340.69 crore of 2018-19.

The salary liability includes expenditure to be incurred from filling up of 27 teaching positions, Dean College Development Council, Chief Security Officer and Deputy Registrar for 2019-20.

The retirement benefits would cost Rs 20.38 crore, while revised estimate for 2018-19 is Rs 17.66 crore — a rise of 15.39%.

A total of Rs 83.44 crore has been earmarked for pensions in 2019-20, which is a rise of 4.18% from revised estimates of Rs 80.09 crore for 2018-19.

Similarly, Rs 3.22 crore would be spent on running, repair and maintenance of equipment and vehicles, a rise of 12.81%, while Rs 2.85 crore was earmarked in revised estimate for 2018-19.

The expenditure on hostels and sports activities has jumped by 4.92% and 5.34%, respectively.

A total of Rs 9.92 crore would be spent on books and journals in 2019-20, which is a dip of 6.59%, while Rs 3.18 crore would be spent on teaching and research aids and other outreach activities, again a dip of 8.36%.

The scholarships or fellowships also see a dip of 2.86% as only Rs 4.59 crore has been earmarked for it. Under the head, ‘New Academic Programme, Registration Fee, NAAC Fee’, there is dip of 53.81% as only Rs 24.13 lakh has been earmarked for it.

Income

The examination fee would contribute Rs 155.30 crore in income of PU budget in 2019-20, which is 51% of the total income generated by the varsity on its own. The examination fee income sees a rise of 1.44% from 2018-19.

The tuition fee could rise for 2019-20 as contribution under the heads of both traditional and partially self-financed courses has risen.

The contribution from traditional courses fee sees a rise of 49%. The traditional courses will contribute Rs 14.5 crore (5% of the total income) to the PU income against Rs 9.73 crore in 2018-19. In 2017-18, the fees from traditional courses stood at Rs 9.07 crore, a rise of just 7.32% from the previous year.

The contribution from fee of partially self-financed departments is set to rise by 9.33%. In 2019-20, these departments will contribute Rs 65.50 crore (21% of the total income), while in 2018-19 their contribution is Rs 59.90 crore.

The contribution in income from the University School of Open Learning (USOL) would rise by 18.32%. It would contribute Rs 19.50 crore (6% of total income) in 2019-20 against Rs 16.48 crore in 2018-19.

The budget shows the hostel fee contributing Rs 14.29 crore in 2019-20, which is a rise of 6% from the 2018-19 fiscal. However, the rise in 2018-19 as compared to 2017-18 was higher at 9.5%.

PU to take steps to enhance revenue 

• Will enrol more students under the University School of Open Learning (USOL).
• To revise foreign/NRI students’ admission norms to enhance their enrolment and rationalise their fee structure.
• Will start MOOCs courses by USOL and other departments.
• Will explore possibilities of opening of PU International Off-Campus.
• To seek free access to various online journals/resources such as Science Direct, Sci-Finder, SCOPUS etc. 

Other decisions 

• Enhancement in remuneration of contractual staff has been allowed at 3%. Enhancement of emoluments of medical officer, specialists, visiting consultant and part-time specialists has been approved. 
• Setting up of 66 kVA electricity substation in PU has been allowed. This will be further taken to the Syndicate for its approval. It will help the university in expanding research facilities. 
• Punjab Government has given dissent on allowing initial of the pay scale, including DA, to various employees appointed on contractual basis. It will be further deliberated. There was a suggestion that it should be allowed for those who have completed 10 years in service.

Break-up of income

• Examination fee 51%
• Partially self-financed courses 21%
• Traditional courses 5%
• University School of Open Learning 6%
• Hostels, sports fee 6%
• From MHRD/UGC Rs 233.48 crore (6% up from 2018-19)
• From Punjab Govt Rs 36.33 crore (4.96% up from 2018-19)