Punjabi varsity to hold Syndicate meeting

PATIALA: Punjabi University will hold a meeting of the university syndicate after a gap of 5 months on Wednesday. The syndicate is set to take up matters pertaining to reinstating house rent allowance (HRA) of employees of Yadavindra College of Engineering (YCoE), Talwandi Sabo, increment of salaries of contractual teachers and others.

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 19

Punjabi University will hold a meeting of the university syndicate after a gap of 5 months on Wednesday. The syndicate is set to take up matters pertaining to reinstating house rent allowance (HRA) of employees of Yadavindra College of Engineering (YCoE), Talwandi Sabo, increment of salaries of contractual teachers and others. The reports prepared twice by internal and external members of committees regarding alleged misappropriation of funds in various purchases and hiring on the campus will also be discussed in the meeting.

The matter of payments of HRA made to the employees at YCoE after the office of Comptroller and auditor general (CAG) had recently directed the university to make changes in its rules and provide HRA and other allowances as per Punjab government rules. Once reduced from 20 to 10 per cent, the university again increased the HRA amount by recognising its headquarters as Bathinda.

The university will also discuss the matter of finalising selection committees for filling up teaching and research posts on the campus. Members will discuss the policy of headship by rotation for assistant professors, matters related to career advancement scheme, adaptation of different notifications issued by the state government, depositing funds of provident fund of the employees in their accounts among others.

The allegations of misappropriation of university funds in different 15 matters looms large on the university functionaries who are yet to decide upon the probe reports filed twice by two different committees. The university in March had decided to form a third committee to study the probe reports prepared by a two-member committee of retired IAS and IPS officers regarding allegations over misappropriation of funds on campus. Insiders say the university has lost huge amounts because of the alleged scams which include matters of recruitment of 65 assistant professors from 2009 to 2016, purchase of answer sheets, software purchase, grant of scholarships, doubted involvement of teachers in holding entrance test for PhD courses and others.

Registrar Manjit Singh Nijjar today said the University will present the matters of probe reports into alleged misappropriation of funds on the campus.