Aggrieved Punjabi university teachers association on path of protest
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA) has been holding Dharna (Sit in protest) in front of the office of Vice Chancellor, Professor B. S. Ghuman since June 2, 2020.
The Dharna is against the non-disbursal of salary as well as pension by the university to the teaching and non-teaching staff till today.
PUTA is of the considered view that without the financial package by government the financial collapse of university is imminent.
Reeling under huge liabilities, at present, university is under the debt burden of about Rs. 140 Crores. There is huge divergence between the income and expenditure of university.
University administration failed miserably so far restoration of financial viability of university is concerned. The fragile financial situation of the university has been badly affecting the administrative, academic and research environment.
The policy of present administration to indulge in excessive borrowing to run the university affairs need to be stopped immediately.
PUTA further criticized the university administration for adopting delaying tactics in the implementation of the written agreement by university administration with PUTA on 11th March, 2020.
The non-attending of the office by Vice Chancellor since the outbreak of Covid has been seriously affecting the functioning of university. Importantly, the Vice Chancellors of other universities of state never failed to perform their statutory duties by attending the office during this period.
Non-availability of VC at his office compelled PUTA to hold a protest march at the campus which ultimately took the form of gathering by teachers outside the official residence of VC.
PUTA urged the VC to take up the matter of university finances with the Chief Minister instead of writing futile letters to administrative secretaries of government.
The agitation would be intensified if university failed to implement all the demands of the teaching community.
June,11,2020
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