Govt releases pending salaries of 127 guest professors

In a significant decision, the Punjab Government has released the long-pending salaries of 127 guest faculty assistant professors working in government colleges across the state. The move has been welcomed by the Guest Faculty Assistant Professors United Front, which described it as clear proof of the government’s pro-employee approach.

State leaders of the United Front — Dr Ravinder Singh Mansa, Prof Gursev Singh Patiala, Dr Paramjit Singh Sri Amritsar Sahib and Prof Muhammad Tanveer Sangrur — expressed gratitude to Punjab’s Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. They said due to the minister’s timely intervention and directions, salaries that had been pending for nearly 10 months were now being released.

The leaders highlighted that guest professors shouldered the responsibility of running Punjab’s government colleges — considered an educational heritage of the state — for more than two decades. They recalled that it was during the regime of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in 2022, that guest faculty salaries were increased, reflecting the ruling dispensation’s commitment to their welfare.

They further explained that the recent recruitment of permanent professors had affected the remuneration of guest faculty in several colleges, pushing many into financial hardship. However, through effective planning and administrative coordination, the Principal Secretary and Director of the Higher Education Department resolved the issue and ensured a clear pathway for the disbursal of salaries.

The United Front extended special thanks to the Director of Higher Education, stating that transparent, visionary and dedicated officers like him were instrumental in driving Punjab’s progress. They added that such administrative leadership would prove to be a milestone in elevating the standards of higher education in the state.

Guest faculty assistant professors shared that they devoted the best years of their lives to serving government colleges. They urged the Punjab Government to take concrete steps towards regularising the services of guest professors, acknowledging their long-standing contribution to the education sector.

They also thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, noting that under his leadership, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains ensured that the “flame of livelihood” for guest professors was not extinguished, even during difficult times.