Pvt lobby posing threat to aided colleges: Chhina
The General House of Non-Government Colleges Management Federation of Punjab and Chandigarh today unanimously re-elected incumbent Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina as president for a term of next three years.
Ramesh Kumar Kaura was re-elected as vice-president while Dr SM Sharma retained the post of general secretary of the body that represents 142 aided colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh. Chhina said the colleges were heading for financial crisis if problems were not addressed.
Chhina and other members, meanwhile, called for strong unity stating that the private lobby was posing a serious challenge to aided colleges. They said the state government, adopting a policy of withdrawal from providing aid to colleges, was issuing directives which were detrimental to the interests of aided colleges.
Dr Agenese Dhillon was nominated as secretary, Rakesh Dhir as finance secretary and Ravinder Joshi as adviser. Secretary, Education, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbadhank Committee (SGPC), representative of DAV institutions and advocate Karandeep Singh Cheema from the Sikh Educational Society, Chandigarh, were nominated as vice-presidents.
The decreasing grants, interference and subjugation of the autonomy of colleges, non-fulfillment of vacant posts and non-release of grants for SC scholarships were some of the areas of concern before the Federation. Dr SM Sharma said the present government has closed all doors for negotiations and government officials were not accessible to take up issues of concern as the members were critical of the state government machinery for undermining the autonomy of colleges falling under three universities of Punjab.
