Punjabi University releases salaries after PUTA stir threat

Patiala, December 5

A day after teaching staff of Punjabi University threatened to boycott upcoming semester examination to register their protest against non-disbursal of their salaries for the past two months, the authorities released the salaries for October today. A faction of teachers had alleged “conspiracy” behind the episode.

They said the salaries were being released only after the teaching fraternity threatened to go on strike.

Dr Maninder Singh, vice-president, Punjabi University Teachers’ Association (PUTA), said, “It needs to be probed whether it is being done deliberately. We are forced to give a strike call. Either we stop taking classes or refuse to take exams. And within a few days, the salaries are released. Why the university authorities are forcing us to take such measure, what is the objective behind it.”

Around 700 members of PUTA had announced the boycott of semester exams, which are scheduled for December 8, if their salaries were not released.

A senior professor said, “The university is grappling with Rs 150 crore in liabilities, which incur substantial annual interest. The annual salary bill amounts to Rs 342 crore.”