Punjabi University a hotspot of protests
Ravneet Singh
Tribune News Service
Patiala, July 30
Nowadays, Punjabi University has become a hotspot for protests. The university has not yet prepared salaries of its employees and retirement benefits of pensioners since June 23 when salary for May was credited.
University professors, who have been protesting since seven days said, “The university is yet to credit our salaries and pension.”
Dr Bhupinder Singh Virk, a professor with the university, said, “We are protesting against university’s failure to pay salaries on time. This protest will continue until the state government promises to sanction regular grants to improve financial position of the university and agrees to pay off its bank loans.”
MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra, who met professors on the university campus, said, “The university is committing a fraud by not depositing the GPF amount in employees’ accounts. Moreover, the state government is responsible for reducing university’s grant to Rs 108 crore this year. The state government should intervene in the matter.”
B and C class non-teaching employees of the university are also protesting for salaries. Manoj Bhambri, general secretary, Punjabi University B and C Category Non-teaching Association, said, “We are protesting over pending salary of June. This has been going on for the last nine days.”
Gurjit Singh Gopalpuri, chariman, Employees Freedom Association, is now sitting on hunger strike. “We want university to credit salaries of employees at the earliest. This protest and hunger strike will continue until the authorities credit our salaries,” said Gopalpuri.
PUTA has also decided to protest from August 7 if university fails to credit pending salaries of June and July as per the previous agreement. The PUTA secretary, Dr Gurnam Singh Virk, said, “The university has also not fixed pensions of employees, who retired six months ago.”
Meanwhile, protest by students of MCA course along with members of the Democratic Students Organisation over failing in a particular paper entered third day today. Students have submitted their fresh demands to the university.
The university VC was unavailable for comments.
