Cash-strapped govt eyes PTU funds to set up 19 ITIS in state
Punjab state board of technical education and the varsity will share the cost of these training institutes in the ratio of 50:50
JALANDHAR: The cash-strapped Punjab government has sought ₹71 crore in two yearly instalments from cash-rich Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU), Kapurthala, to set up 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIS) in the state. PTU has over ₹200 crore in surplus and generates around ₹72 crore in revenue a year.
The technical education department that cabinet minister Charanjit Singh Channi heads will be executing the ITI project on the directions of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training and PTU are to share the cost in 50:50 ratio. PTU is to contribute around ₹36 crore for 2019-20 and ₹34 crore 2020-21.
The move has raised eyebrows as a Punjab and Haryana high court judgment in 2015 had slammed the then SAD-BJP government’s move to use the corpus fund of the IKG-PTU to set up another technical university at Bathinda. This was after university employees had objected it, terming it as an attack on the varsity’s financial autonomy.
“The outflow of money from an autonomous institute is an outrageous and arbitrary move as the finances generated by an institute are meant to be spent on that institute only,” the 2015 HC judgment had said.
This government, however, has also been asking the PTU to give ₹100-crore for a Start-up Fund that it wants to form as part of its Industrial and Business Development Policy that the cabinet had approved in 2017. In May this year, additional chief secretary, industries and commerce, had written to the then principal secretary, technical education, DK Tiwari, “Since the startup fund is to be setup by the PTU which comes under technical education, a letter was sent on October 30, 2018, requesting the director, technical education, to intimate action taken by PTU for setting up of the Start-up Fund of ₹100 crore, but no reply has been received to date.”
In 2018, director, technical education, had written to Pturegistrar seeking 10% of its total revenue for a new technical education and industrial training development fund.
PTU’S TAKE
“The government’s requests are pending with the PTU as we are yet to release any money to any department. The Punjab government must let the university work as an autonomous body rather than eyeing its funds,” a senior PTU functionary said on the condition of anonymity.
He added that even as the varsity’s present revenue was good, it was unlikely that the state government would help if it (the varsity) happened to face a crunch.
“For instance, Punjabi University is struggling with its finances and the government has been unable to help.” Acting registrar Sukhbir Singh Walia refused to comment.
Channi told HT, “We have been spending university funds only on technical education, which is worth it. It is the duty of the government, the technical board the and university to promote technical education.”
On the industries department’s demand of funds from PTU, he said, “We have been rejecting this demand.”
PTU HAS OVER ₹200 CR IN SURPLUS AND GENERATES AROUND ₹72 CRORE IN REVENUE PER YEAR