Pbi varsity students, staff march to Health Minister’s residence

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 23

Students, faculty members and employees of Punjabi University today carried out a protest march towards the residence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh and demanded government grants for the university.

The protesters also demanded a loan waiver.

Demand govt grant for university

• The protesters demanded government grants for Punjabi University. They also demanded a loan waiver
• The students and faculty members have been holding protests for their demands for a few months now
• They turned their one-day protest into an indefinite stir recently, after the state government announced a yearly grant of Rs 164 crore for the university
• The students submitted a memorandum to a representative from the minister’s office

The students and faculty members have been holding protests for their demands for a few months now. They turned their one-day protest into an indefinite stir recently, after the state government announced a yearly grant of Rs 164 crore for the university.

A student said, “The state government has given verbal assurances to waive the university’s bank loan and give it the required grant in the past as well. In fact, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured the university of the required grants twice on visiting the campus. But so far, the government has failed to provide the funds. Now they have given an assurance of providing the grants during the Legislative Assembly. But we want a written documentation for the same.”

Students associated with Punjab Radical Students’ Union Punjab Students’ Union Lalkaar, All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), along with faculty members of the university started the protest march from the PUDA grounds and reached near the residence of the Health Minister. They were then stopped by the police force near the minister’s residence.

The students submitted a memorandum to a representative from the minister’s office.