Patiala, November 2, 2023: Approximately 700 teaching faculty members of Punjabi University staged a protest on Thursday due to the non-payment of their salaries for two months. The teachers, who are members of the Punjabi University Teacher Association (PUTA), boycotted classes and research work.
PUTA Vice President Dr Maninder Singh said the teachers had not received their salaries for September and October. “With the holiday season upon us, teachers are facing financial problems. Under such circumstances, it is challenging to carry out our educational responsibilities. Therefore, we have decided to go on a strike and will not resume classes until our salaries are released,” he said.
A senior professor from the university said the university was grappling with Rs 150 crore in liabilities, which incur substantial annual interest. Its annual salary bill amounts to Rs 342 crore.
Director of the Educational Multimedia Research Centre, Daljit Ami said Punjabi University requires nearly Rs 39 crore every month to meet its obligations to the employees along with the pensioners. Recent quarterly grants have covered the arrears of previous months. However, payments for the remaining months depend on the release of the next grant instalment. Notably, the non-teaching staff and pensioners have received their dues, while the active teachers remain unpaid.
The teachers’ protest disrupted academic work at the university. The PUTA has demanded that the Punjab government immediately release the necessary funds to pay the salaries of the teaching staff.