Punjabi University passes Rs 342-crore annual Budget

Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 5

Punjabi University today passed the Budget of Rs342.35 crore for the 2021-22 fiscal. At meetings of the finance committee and the Syndicate, held today, the university cleared the expenditure estimates of Rs472.26 crore. The university authorities said they would fall short of Rs129.91 crore by the end of this financial year.

Till December 2020, the university spent Rs475.99 crore against its income of Rs286 crore in the previous financial year. As per calculated estimates, the university fell short of Rs189 crore in the previous financial year, Rs119 crore in 2019-20 and Rs82.04 crore during 2018-19.

The university expects Rs117.70 crore from the state government in the form of grants, will get Rs1.50 crore from the Centre Government, along with Rs1.75 crore as non-UGC grant for the research projects. It is expected that the UGC grant for the university will be Rs1.66 crore.

At the same time, university’s contingent expenditure is estimated at Rs97.40 crore out of its overall expenditure of Rs472.26 crore. The university will spend Rs11.52 crore on development of the Punjabi language.

Meanwhile, the university has also decided to withdraw the increment inpayment to guest faculty teachers. The university had raised their payment to Rs750 per hour.

The university at its finance committee meeting decided that an academic review panel will assess workload of teachers at respective colleges, departments and campuses through physical verification and present its findings at the next meeting to be held on May 15.

Officials, who were present at the meeting, said Syndicate also decided to extend services of various employees, whose extension of contracts was pending.

“Syndicate has approved appointments of Dr Pushpinder Singh Gill as Dean, academic affairs, and Dr Varinder Kumar Kaushik as university Registrar,” officials added.

“The university now aims to reduce its overdraft within six years. A detailed proposal regarding this has been discussed at the meeting today,” officials said.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.