Principals back teachers’ union protest over delay in salary

The Principals’ Association of Government Aided and Affiliated Colleges in Punjab has extended full support to the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union’s (PCCTU) protest rally scheduled for December 12 in Dirba, the constituency of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.

The rally, announced earlier by PCCTU, aims to highlight the prolonged delay in the release of salary grants to aided colleges across the state. In a jointly issued statement, association president Dr Gurdev Singh Randhawa of Guru Nanak College, Sukhchainana Sahib, Phagwara, general secretary Dr Jasvir Singh of Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College, Anandpur Sahib, and senior vice-president Dr Parvinder Singh of Khalsa College, Mahilpur, said that the crisis facing the staff of aided colleges has reached an alarming level.

They noted that several government-aided institutions have not received salary grants since February, while others have been awaiting funds since July 2025, leaving employees in severe financial distress.

The leaders expressed disappointment that staff members, despite serving in vital educational institutions, are being pushed towards agitation due to the state’s failure to ensure timely disbursal of grants. They remarked that it is particularly concerning because the current government repeatedly lists education and health as its core priorities, yet higher education is facing neglect on the ground.

Calling for immediate corrective measures, the Principals’ Association urged the Punjab government to release pending salary grants without delay and introduce long-term reforms to stabilise funding for government-aided colleges.

They said the December 12 rally is a necessary step to draw attention to the crisis and safeguard the future of higher education in the state.