Center should immediately release additional grant to Punjab University – Satya Pal Jain

The Voice of Chandigarh : Satya Pal Jain, former MP from Chandigarh, Additional Solicitor General of the Government of India and senior most member of the Senate of Punjab University, has urged the Central Government to increase the grant from Rs. 294 crore for 2023-24 to the amount of Rs. 346 crore to Punjab University, Chandigarh and further increase it by 6% every year in future, so that after the implementation of the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, the outstanding amount due from 1-1-2016 can be released to the employees of Punjab University Chandigarh.

In a letter written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Jain said that the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission have been accepted from 1-1-2016 but due to non-receipt of additional grant of about Rs 50 crore from the Central Government, the outstanding amount could not be paid to the employees. He wrote that Chandigarh Administration has already given approval to pay dues to its college staff from 1-1-2016. Therefore, it is necessary that an additional grant of about Rs 50 crore should be released to Punjab University so that the employees of Punjab University can also get the benefits of the pay revision.

Jain urged the Central Government to release this amount as soon as possible so that uncertainty on this issue comes to an end. He said that he had written to the Education Ministry about it earlier also.