PUTA boycotts exams : Pending salaries will be released soon, says Punjab FM Harpal Cheema

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 22

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema today assured that there would be no cut in the grants promised to Punjabi University, Patiala.

The remarks came amid tension between the teaching faculty and the university authorities pending salaries for November.

Members of the Punjabi University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) have boycotted exams as their salaries for the month of November have not been released so far.

The PUTA said they would boycott exams as long as their salaries would not be released by the university.

Personal Secretary of Vice-Chancellor, Nagar Singh Mann, said the fiscal situation was such that the university had to use the UGC, MHRD, NSS and other central grants to pay salaries.

In addition, the university had taken a loan of 150 crores till 2018.

In fiscal year 2021-22, the university received a monthly grant of around Rs 9.5 crore. In this fiscal, the Punjab Government has provided an interim grant of Rs 90 crore.

While the university received two instalments of Rs 180 crore (Rs 90 crore each), but the third instalment of Rs 60 crore led to non-payment of salaries.

Cheema assured that the pending amount would be released soon.

Daljit Ami, Director, Educational Multimedia Research Centre, said, “Punjabi University requires nearly Rs 39 crore every month to pay salaries for the teaching and non-teaching staff and pensions.”

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