As Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana completes one year without a permanent Vice-Chancellor, the teachers association of the university has come out against the government for the undue delay in keeping the post of the VC of the prestigious institute vacant. Dr B S Dhillon had retired as the VC of PAU, Punjab’s only state agricultural university, on June 30 last year. Ever since the Punjab government has given three senior bureaucrats additional charge of the VC. Punjab Agricultural University Teachers Association (PAUTA) Thursday said that the varsity has “got the dubious distinction of completing one year without a regular Vice-Chancellor.” “Apart from the undue delay in appointing a regular vice-chancellor, many senior administrative posts such as that of the Director Research, Director Extension Education, Dean Postgraduate Studies, Dean College of Agriculture, Director Students Welfare and even the Registrar are being looked after by officers who have been given additional charges. Many posts of head of departments are also lying vacant, which are being managed on a temporary arrangement,” said PAUTA Thursday. After IAS officers Anirudh Tewari and D K Tiwari, Sarvjit Singh is currently the acting VC of PAU. Dr Mandeep Singh Gill, secretary, PAUTA, said the university’s functioning has been severely disturbed without a permanent VC. There has been no promotion of teachers for more than a year under career advancement scheme and the promotion cases are pending over the past 5-6 years, which is having a demoralising impact on the staff. The PAUTA executive has appealed to the state government to immediately appoint a regular VC for the smooth functioning of the university. Dr H S Kingra, president, PAUTA, pointed out that in the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh a new VC was appointed to Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Solan within one-and-a- half month of retirement of its previous VC, unlike PAU that has already seen three persons being given the additional charge of VC over the period of one year, and there is still no clue when a permanent appointment will be made.
