No new smart classroom, air conditioners for PU

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 28

No new smart classroom will be set up at Panjab University during the next financial year (2015-16) as the authorities have only around Rs 7 crore in their kitty as the Plan budget. The demand for the installation of air conditioners by various departments has also been rejected by the PU sub-committee on budget estimates at its meeting held here today.

The meeting was chaired by Dean University Instructions AK Bhandari in which it was decided that a cut will have to be imposed in the budget because the Central Government only provides an increase of up to 8 per cent in the annual budget of the university. Sources said since there was no increase in the Plan budget of the university this year, "major cuts" had been imposed on the ongoing construction works in the university.

An official said various departments had sent proposals of around Rs 100 crore, but proposals of only Rs 7 crore were approved today, which would be tabled at a meeting in February for final approval of the budget.

A highly placed official in the university said the committee also rejected a proposal for allocation of laptops to faculty members of various departments. The sources said the committee approved rewiring work in old departments that had been lying pending for one year. It was also decided that two lifts would be installed in international hostels on the campus. Computers were also okayed for the UBS. The construction of five new parking lots, which were cleared last year by the UT Chief Architect, was also approved. The committee also approved a proposal for the renovation of one-room flats on the campus for the university staff.