Online Dharna due to Covid-19 for not getting salaries for the month of April-Mohindru
Dr Pankaj Mohindru
The Punjabi University which is situated at Patiala and falls in the CM city is on verge of collapse as the University is not being able to release staff salaries for the month of April 2020. The author had pleaded Rs 500 crore (As a bailout package) from Punjab state government in the past as well for the smooth functioning of the university in the wake of financial crisis. However, the university did not get any special financial grant in this year’s financial budget as well. The Punjab Budget dashed all the hopes of the staff working in Punjabi University, Patiala, Neighborhood campuses and constituent colleges situated in the Malwa belt.
It is conspicuously believed that future of the students studying in the university seems to be gloomy and in dismal state, if this situation continues to persist further as the morale of the faculty has been showing a downward trend due to the ongoing unprecedented circumstances due to Covid19 catastrophe.
It is noticed by the author amid online discussions among his colleagues that they are very much worried about the worsening financial condition of the university and this has driven him to write down this article. The faculty members and the previous elected PUTA office bearers and executives discussed to schedule a massive Online Protest (Digital Protest) against the mismanagement of the administration to get their salaries for the month of April.
Dr. Baldeep Singh from department of BAS also holds the same opinion to register strong protest for not getting his salary for the month of April. He commented that circular has been issued by the government of Punjab state that all the government colleges and universities in the state would have their summer vacations from May 15 to June 15. It is also feared that salaries to the university staff would be credited only after the summer vacations.
Dr. Pankaj Mohindru, Chairman Human Rights Cell, Congress Party who is also a Senior Faculty in the department of Electronics & Communication Engineering and Incharge-USIC informed the press that faculty members are going to raise an online protest against the state government using a social networking site for not getting their salaries timely. This novel method of peaceful protest in a digital era would be first of its kind in the world due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
It is again appealed to the state government through this press note to release appropriate financial grant to the University to facilitate the process of disbursement of staff salaries for the month of April 2020.
The writer-Dr. Pankaj Mohindru (Columnist) is a Professor in Punjabi University, Patiala and is an expert in the field of Human Resource Management and Artificial Intelligence and is guiding research in this field.
(The views expressed are personal)
May,8,2020
