Gian Sagar college yet to pay salaries to 1,000 ex-employees

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 17

After one year of withdrawal, the Punjab government again issued essentiality and no-objection certificates to Gian Sagar Medical College, Banur, last week. But none of the issues has been sorted out on the basis of which the certificates were withdrawn and the college was shut down.

Last year in May, while withdrawing the NOC and essentiality certificate, the state government had cited mainly two violations. First, the college was bound to pay salaries and emoluments to employees as per stipulated norms. However, even after repeated assurances, the college management failed to pay the salaries to around 1,000 employees. They included around 150 doctors, who were denied payment of salaries for six to eight months. After failing to get salaries, the staff had gone on strike and the college was shut down.

Another condition imposed by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, of providing adequate infrastructure and faculty was also violated. When it comes to infrastructure, the situation has deteriorated further, as the management claims that their expensive equipment has been stolen in the past one year.

So far the management of the college has not fulfilled any of the two conditions, but the government has hurriedly issued the certificates to the college.

Dharminder Singh, president, Punjab Paramedical Workers Union, which represents all former employees of the college, said before issuing the provisional essentiality certificate, the government should have asked the college to deposit the amount it owed to the employees. “When the issues on the basis of which the college was shut down have not been resolved so far, how can the government again give them a free hand to dupe another 1,000 people?” he asked.

Satish Chandra, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education, said, “The certificates issued to the college management are only provisional. Question doesn’t arise that we will allow the college to open before their financial liabilities are cleared,” he said.

“The college management has been asked to present a financial roadmap and the Director, Medical Education and Research, has been assigned the duty of preparing a report on whether to give a final essentiality certificate to the college or not,” he said.