PU’s deficit budget may derail recruitment processn PU VC tables Budget of Rs555 crore

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29

Panjab University’s deficit budget of Rs 103 crore, under the Non-plan Head is threatening to derail the ambitious plan of the authorities to fill 40 per cent teaching vacancies in various departments.

The shortage of teaching staff has not only attracted the attention of the National Accreditation and Assessment Council during its recent visit as it affects the quality of teaching and research in the department.

In the Senate meeting, PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover today tabled a Budget of Rs 555 crore for the next financial year, out which Rs 245 crore is income and Rs 313 crore is deficit. To meet the deficit, the university will receive a grant of Rs 20 crore from the Punjab Government and around Rs 190 crore from the Union Government but the deficit of Rs 103 crore will remain uncovered as the authorities have no plan to generate the amount.

The deficit budget will again hold back the implementation of the Widow Pension Scheme approved two years ago and execution of leave encashment for 300 days rather 180 days for the third consecutive year due to non-availability of funds.

The Vice-Chancellor said in the Senate that the university was depending on the Ministry of Human Resource Development to meet the left out deficit as the authorities had neither announced any hike in fee nor introduced any scheme to generate revenue this year. He said that the Board of Finance meeting will be called in July to review the financial status.