Cash-strapped Punjabi University seeks special aid

Patiala, June 16

The office of the Director, Public Instructions, Colleges, Punjab, will present a proposal to the state government for allocation of a special grant to the cash-strapped Punjabi University. A team, led by the university Registrar and the Prof in-charge (Finance), yesterday held a meeting with the DPI, Colleges, in Chandigarh over the issue. The university was represented by Registrar Navjot Kaur and Prof in-charge (Finance) Rakesh Kumar. An official said, “We met the DPI, Colleges, on Wednesday. They asked us to provide the latest reports regarding the university finances to be forwarded to the state government in the upcoming Budget session. We discussed the year-by-year decrease in government grants and also the decision of the bank overdraft taken during Syndicate meetings in the presence of government nominees in the past.”

The official said they were hopeful that the university would get a bailout package from the government in the state Budget, to be presented in the Assembly on June 27. The university needed over Rs 200 crore to meet its expenses, they said.