CHANDIGARH: Teachers of the Punjab University (PU) shall wear black badges on 18th and 19th of November in protest against delay in providing grants by the Central government. In an executive meeting held on Friday, the Punjab University Teachers' Association (PUTA) decided to come out in agitation against pending grants to the tune of Rs 150 crores.
The PUTA would meet again on 19th of November to evaluate the state of affairs, and decide the future course of action. Meanwhile, the PUTA has approached the non-teaching association as well, and joined hands with them in the protest.
Mohammad Khalid, former PUTA president said that the PU is one of the most prestigious universities of India, and holds a significant global stature. The university maintains such a standing as a result of its dedicated employees. If these employees are not provided with the bare minimum, i.e., their salaries, it shall be highly disappointing and discouraging. Moreover, the university has been known for providing good quality education, and this principally gets affected when the grants are not provided timely.
Khalid added that in their meeting, the executive was informed about the delay in fund transfer, and that it had now become a matter of grave concern for the faculty and other staff. Even if an enquiry is in progress, there is no reason to discontinue the disbursement of funds.
In their meeting on October 29, PUTA President Akshay Kumar had reinforced that the government committee has every right to investigate any irregularity, but stopping the grants was completely unjustified. Because of this, the salaries of faculty and other staff have been indefinitely delayed.