Rs 1,600-cr post matric grant pending

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 15

A joint meeting of the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) and Punjab Unaided Technical Institutions Association’s (PUTIA) delegation was held on Thursday.

Both associations requested the government-affiliated universities and boards in Punjab, including the IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar; Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda; and Punjabi University, Patiala, among others not to charge fee from the Scheduled Caste students till the government releases pending amount of the post matric scholarship (PMS).

Dr Anshu Kataria, president, PUCA said, “Over Rs 1,600 crore of the SC students is pending for the last three years. The Centre has released Rs 323 crore to the state government which has not been disbursed to the colleges.”

He said, “Around Rs 325 crore is due for 2015-16; Rs 715 crore for 2016-17; over Rs 600 crore for 2017-18 and Rs 500 crore for financial year 2018-19.”

Dr JS Dhaliwal, president, PUTIA said, “Affiliating universities charge affiliation fee, registration fee, examination fee and other student related funds (SRF) from the colleges. However, colleges are facing a huge financial crisis. As a result, they are not able to pay charges because neither the government nor students have given fee to colleges.”

Manjeet Singh, vice president, PUTIA said, “Colleges are running from pillar to post for getting post matric scholarship funds released. On the one hand more than 3 lakh students have not been reimbursed their post matric scholarship and the affiliating universities are asking for fee from colleges. How can a college pay to the university from its own pocket?”