Panjab University to get Rs 50 cr from Centre this week

“I have requested them to release the grants in two installments – 25 per cent in the first installment, and the remaining later. Rs 150 crore will be released before Diwali,” added Professor Grover. Due to delay in funds from the Centre this year, the university has been unable to pay the Dearness Allowance to its employees since July, and reimbursement of medical bills has also been put on hold. In the last few months, bills of external examiners of the university had also not been cleared due to shortage in funds. Research-related initiatives at the varsity have also been put on hold, and the university had to divert Rs 25 crore from its research grants to pay the salaries of its employees.

PU’s Board of Finance had approved a budget of Rs 506.55 crore for the year 2014-15, out of which Rs 20 crore is to be provided by the Punjab government and the remaining is provided by the central government. Due to insufficiency of funds, the deficit for 2014-15 has come to be Rs 193.81 crore. Professor Grover added, “Now that the central government will be giving its employees bonus on Diwali, we should at least be able to pay our employees their salaries, if not any bonus.”