Punjabi varsity told to review NPS decision

Patiala, September 15

Punjabi University will have to review its decisions on the implementation of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and grant of pay scales to employees, both done allegedly in violation of government policy and norms. The matter has come to the fore in a letter sent by the Department of Finance to the administrative department of the university.

The university had earlier decided to implement the NPS for its employees from July 8, 2012, though the scheme had been adopted by the state government from January 2004. The university included the employees hired between 2004 and 2012 in the category of employees of old pension scheme and transferred the NPS amount of some employees to their GPF account. The Department of Finance has directed that the decision should

be reviewed.

The department also found that the university had granted pay scales to its employees in violation of government norms, which needed to be reviewed.

It said the university was passing through a severe financial crisis and corrective steps needed to be taken as pointed out in an audit report.

The department has also directed the university not to regularise the services of work-charged and contractual employees without approval. It said no additional financial benefits should be given to officials for additional charge. — TNS