Overcautious bureaucracy has once again blocked the financial aid to Punjab Agricultural University when it sent back PAU Registrar,Dr R K Mahey and Comptroller A C Rana empty-handed after a meeting with the Secretary,Finance,that was held in Chandigarh today. While both Dr Mahey and Rana were not available for comment,it is learnt that while the state government has released a grant for enhanced salaries of PAU teachers,it has again asked a series of queries before releasing grant for non-teaching employees. This has meanwhile led to large-scale resentment among the non-teaching staff who have threatened to intensify their stir in case the government did not release their share of grant immediately. The government,it is learnt,has released Rs 4.32 crore for teachers while a grant of Rs 8.30 crore,needed for the non-teaching staff,has been kept pending. Lakhwinder Singh Sandhu,vice-president,PAU Non-teaching Employees Union,said,The MLA,Ludhiana West,Harish Rai Dhandha has intervened for us but the Secretary,Finance,has asked certain queries like disparity in pay scales as compared to Punjab government,university income and so on. When contacted,Dhanda informed,I have taken up the issue with the chief secretary and will know plead the PAUs case myself. It is not easy to deal with the bureaucracy and I have asked PAU non-teaching staff union to brief me about the nitty gritty of the matter and I will speak at the next meeting. Dhanda added,The government officials keep sending back PAU officials with the same set of objections each time but demand a new answer. This is simply a delaying tactic. Meanwhile,a group of six members,Dr S.K Sohu and Dr T.S Riar from PAUTA,Tarsem Singh,Kuldip Singh TMO,Kesar Singh and Nishan Singh from the PAU Employees Union sat on a hunger strike today.
