Varsity staff yet to get Nov salary due to fund crunch

Ravneet Singh
Tribune News Service
Patiala, December 3

Reeling under fund crunch, the Punjabi University has failed to pay salaries to its staff for the month of November. University officials said they are waiting for the second instalment of special grant of total Rs 50 crore sanctioned by the Punjab Government. The state government had sanctioned the grant and provided Rs 10 crore, while it is yet to release the remaining amount.

Sources at the university campus said the financial condition of the university is poor and it does not have enough funds for payment of salaries to the staff.

“The Vice-Chancellor was in Chandigarh to discuss the financial conditions of the university today. The authorities have not been able to release the salaries of any of the staff and they are awaiting the second instalment of the special grant”, an employee said.

Prof Jaswinder Singh Brar, president, Punjabi University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) said, “The university is facing massive fund crunch. The overdraft-cum-loan has crossed all limits. It needs immediate bailout package from the state government.”

Sources say that the university had been unable to pay Rs 25 crore of bank over-draft. While Prof Rakesh Kumar, in-charge finance, was not available for comment, Dr Manjit Singh Nijjar said the exact information regarding the amount was with the in-charge itself. 

Asked when the university will be able to provide the salaries to the employees, he said, “We are waiting for the second instalment of the special grant and will start distributing it the moment we get it.”

Meanwhile, it is not the first time the university had been unable to pay the salaries of the employees. Earlier, the university had also not released pending dearness allowance and other funds of the employees, demands over which were raised by the employees from time to time.

Sources said admissions to the university were on the decline.

The university in its budget rolled out in February this year, expected to generate Rs 226 crore from all sources. Meanwhile, it expected the expenditure to rise to Rs 717 crore, which included Rs 130 crore bank overdraft.