Release endowment funds: Private colleges

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

Promoters of private educational institutions in the state, including private universities and unaided technical colleges, have urged the universities affiliated with the state government and Central educational affiliating councils to release endowment funds and bank guarantees to enable them pay salaries to the staff.

The endowments funds and bank guarantees run in lakhs of rupees. The issue cropped up during a webinar of players in the self-financed private education sector, held through videoconferencing on Friday.

Jagjit Singh, president, BEd Federation, was the moderator while Ashok Mittal, Chancellor, Lovely Professional University (LPU); Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor, Chandigarh University; Charanjit Singh Channi, Chancellor, CT University; Dr Gurmeet S Dhaliwal, president, Punjab Unaided Technical Institutions’ Association and Dr Anshu Kataria, president, Punjab Unaided Colleges’ Association were the panelists.

It was pointed out that on the one hand, the government was telling schools not to ask for fees from students while on the other hand, it was asking to pay salaries to staff which was practically impossible. The Joint Action Committee of 1,650 unaided colleges of Punjab has sought the release of Rs 1,850 crore pending dues under the post-matric scholarship fee to pay salaries to their staff.

Huge amount of money pending

• The endowments funds and bank guarantees run in lakhs of rupees. The issue cropped up during a webinar of players in the self-financed private education sector, held through videoconferencing on Friday
• It was pointed out that on the one hand, the government was telling schools not to take fees from students, but on the other hand, it was asking to pay salaries to staff which was practically impossible.