Need Rs 282 cr for infra, PU tells court

Bhartesh Singh Thakur 

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, October 24

Panjab University (PU) has submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it needed Rs 282.57 crore for various infrastructure projects as it has not received any development grant either from the Punjab Government or the Centre since 2010-11.

“For development expenditures, the PU has utilised its meagre internal resources generated from the development fee charged from students, its estate income, contributions from its alumni and other stakeholders,” it said.  

Among the prominent requirements are the construction of 10 smart lecture theatre complexes, for which Rs 58.96 crore is required, and two hostels, one each for boys and girls, especially for students from the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir, for which Rs 50.43 crore is needed. 

It told the High Court that it also needed a one-time additional grant of Rs 77.87 crore for the payment of arrears of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1, 2016, to March 31, 2019. Also, from 2019-20 onwards, additional annual recurring salary grant to the tune of Rs 30.52 crore over and above the amount of Rs 233.49 crore (calculated at 6 per cent annual hike in salary grant from the Central Government) was required.

Infra requirements at PU 

• Construction of Girls’ Hostel No. 11 (2nd Phase) — Rs 13 crore 
• Teachers’ flats (100) — Rs 11.87 crore 
• Complete demolition of single storeyed ( more than 50 years old) and new construction of 300 multi-storeyed flats — Rs 36 crore 
• 10 smart lecture theatre complexes — Rs 58.96 crore 
• Research laboratories, including Animal House —Rs 31.20 crore 
• Research equipment and smart classrooms —Rs 20 crore 
• Two hostels (one each for boys and girls, especially for students from the North-East and J&K) — Rs 50.43 crore 
• Construction/extension of the University Institute of Applied Management Sciences in South Campus — Rs 4.65 crore
• Firefighting system in buildings on PU campus —Rs 5.43 crore 
• Rewiring and replacement of lighting fixtures in boys’ and girls’ hostels — Rs 5.13 crore 
• Renovation of toilets in various types of houses on PU campus — Rs 12.55 crore 
• Rewiring and replacement of lighting fixtures in academic and office blocks on the Sector 14 campus — Rs 5.25 crore 
• Rewiring in recessed type of houses in Sector 14 and 25 of PU — Rs 2.92 crore 
• Renovation of toilets in various academic buildings on PU campus — Rs 4.24 crore 
• Re-flooring of ground floor in various types of houses on PU campus — Rs 10.48 crore 
• Repair of roofs of various categories of houses on PU campus —Rs 10.41 crore 
• Total requirement — Rs 282.57 crore  

1,378 teaching posts at the university

There are 1,378 teaching posts at Panjab University with 739 regular faculty members. There are 75 teachers who are above 60 years of age, but their case is pending before the High Court. If 162 temporary and 264 guest faculty teachers are excluded, the actual vacancy stands at 41 per cent.