HPU teachers demand timely salaries, seek budget hike

Irked by the persistent delays in salary disbursement, the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers’ Association (HPUTA) met with Vice-Chancellor Prof Mahavir Singh to raise their concerns and demand timely payment of salaries to university employees.

During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held between HPUTA representatives and the Vice-Chancellor. Prof Singh assured the delegation that he is in regular contact with the state government and is committed to resolving the issue at the earliest. He also informed the association that he plans to meet Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the coming days, following his return from an official tour in Delhi, to further pursue the matter.

The HPUTA members expressed their willingness to accompany the Vice-Chancellor in the meeting with the CM, if required, and affirmed their full support for his efforts to resolve the salary delays.

HPUTA president MS Thakur highlighted the financial strain on university employees and the reasons behind the increased salary expenditure.

“Since 2016-17, the university’s gross salary bill has seen a steep rise. Back then, the monthly salary outlay was around Rs 8-10 crore, whereas it now stands at approximately Rs 20-22 crore. This spike is largely due to the implementation of revised pay scales and a significant number of new appointments in recent years,” he said.

He further emphasised that HPUTA has repeatedly urged both past and present state governments to increase the university’s annual budget. “We once again appeal to the CM to raise the university’s annual allocation to Rs 250 crore,” Thakur added.