Retired Professors at Punjabi University Struggle Without Pensionary Benefits

Retired professors from Punjabi University, Patiala, are facing financial problems as they have not received their pension and General Provident Fund (GPF) payments. Many of them have been waiting since June last year, and the university has not given clear updates on when they will get their dues.

Several retired professors, including Rajesh Sharma and Rajinder Lehri, have raised concerns about the delay. Sharma, who retired as the head of the English department, has written to the Punjab governor, who is also the university’s chancellor, asking for help. He said that it has been nine months since his retirement, but he has not received his pension or GPF, making it difficult to manage daily expenses. Lehri also expressed frustration, saying that after dedicating their lives to teaching, retired professors should not have to struggle for their rightful benefits.

University promises resolution

Another retired professor, Jaswinder Saini from the Punjabi department, also criticized the university for the delay. He urged the authorities to release pensions and GPF payments quickly, as these funds belong to the retired employees.

University officials acknowledged the delay and assured that they are working to resolve the issue. Registrar Sanjiv Puri said that pension files are being processed but are stuck due to technical issues and pending clearance from the audit department. He mentioned that new procedures have been put in place to speed up pension approvals.

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Audit delays blamed for issue

Karamjit Singh, who is currently holding the additional charge of vice-chancellor, expressed regret over the situation. He said that efforts are being made to ensure that pensions are disbursed soon. However, he also pointed out that delays from the Punjab government’s audit department are one of the reasons for the problem.

Attempts to contact Anindita Mitra, the administrative secretary of the higher education and school education department, Punjab, were unsuccessful.