Rs 70 cr allocated for building hostels at Punjabi University

Fund-starved Punjabi University has received around Rs 70 crore for building OBC boys’ and girls’ hostels on its premises. University Vice Chancellor Dr Jagdeep Singh expressed gratitude to Sukhwinder Singh Bindra, member of the National Consultative Committee on De-addiction and Rehabilitation (NCCDR), for facilitating the sanctioning of Rs 70 crore by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, for the construction of hostels.

The ministry had already released Rs 11.5 crore as first instalment for the construction of hostels, shared Bindra. However, the project suffered a roadblock as the fund-starved university does not have enough money to kick start the project.

In a communique, the Dr Jagdeep Singh stated requested Bindra to reduce the university share in these grants. For the boys’ hostel, the university share in construction expenses is 40 per cent, while for the girls’ hostel the university has to contribute only 10 per cent. Sources said the VC had urged the authorities concerned to reduce university’s contribution for the construction of boys’ hostel to 10 per cent.

The communique further read: “As you are aware, the financial condition of the university is not very sound. Although the state government has allocated Rs 393 crore to the university, the annual salary budget alone is Rs 415 crore. Apart from that, the university has to pay pension, benefits and bear day to day expenses from its own resources.”