PU approves 7th pay panel benefits for teachers

Bhartesh Singh Thakur 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 13 

 The Panjab University (PU) Board of Finance (BoF) on Tuesday approved the delinking of payment pertaining to the 7th pay commission from the Punjab Government notification and the UGC will be approached for funds to implement it. 

BoF member Prof Navdeep Goyal said, “Members of BoF agreed that when the UGC has to bear the burden of salaries of teachers, the agenda item should be allowed and the UGC should be approached for funds.” 

Punjab Government’s Special Secretary, Finance, Garima Singh didn’t object to it. But, the state is yet to adopt the pay commission recommendations which is delaying the enhancement in salaries for PU teachers.

However, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has sent its comments on the issue that the “university shall consider the revision of pay scales of teachers after the same is notified by the state government”.   

The UGC did not give any comments but said the discussion on the issue in the BoF meeting dated November 28, 2017, might be referred to before taking any action. The issue of the 7th pay commission had come in that meeting too, where it was decided that the PU would wait for notification from the Punjab Government. 

“The Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) Executive conveys deep gratitude and appreciation to all members of BoF for clearing the item on the implementation of the recommendations of the 7th pay commission in its meeting held today. We are particularly thankful to Prof Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, under whose leadership this first hurdle could be crossed, and about which he had assured in his very first meeting with PUTA Executive,” said PUTA president Prof Rajesh Gill. 

What PU needs to do

• To implement the 7th Pay Commission, Panjab University needs one-time additional grant of Rs 77.87 crore for payment of arrears of pay revision for the period between January 1, 2016, and March 31, 2019. 
• It also needs addition of Rs 30.52 crore in annual recurring salary grant, over and above the amount of Rs 233.49 crore which stands determined for the 2019-20 fiscal as per the six per cent annual growth rate formula.