Rejecting outright any move to change the present status of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying that his government was open to increasing the grant-in-aid for the varsity through a mutually consultative process.
Capt Amarinder, in the DO letter written to Rajnath, asserted that the Haryana Government could not take advantage of the ongoing proceedings in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
“The transitory financial resources problem and its resolution by the statutory stakeholders do not permit the Government of Haryana to turn back the clock,” he wrote.
The Haryana Government’s proposal for restoration of its share in the University is “historically, logically, rationally and culturally unsustainable”, said the Chief Minister, adding that “the State of Haryana cannot arrogate to itself the privilege of altering history as and when it wishes”.
The Chief Minister pointed out as per sub-section (4) of Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, the maintenance deficit grants to the university were shared and paid by the States concerned, that is, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh UT administration in the ratio of 20:20:20:40, respectively.
“The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh decided to withdraw from this sharing arrangement. The Government of Haryana also withdrew the affiliation of its colleges from the Panjab University and transferred the same to the other Universities within Haryana State. These decisions of the Haryana Government were unilateral and unconditional,” he said.
He added, “Thus, from 1976 onwards, the State of Punjab and Chandigarh UT Administration paid the maintenance deficit grants to the University in the ratio of 40:60, respectively. Thereafter, the Government of India vide its notification dated October 27, 1997, ceased the representation of Haryana in various governing bodies of the Panjab University,” he pointed.
Elaborating further, Capt Amarinder said that notably, the University has been managing and conducting its financial affairs unilaterally.
“The State Government has increased the Grant-in-Aid from Rs 20 crores to Rs 27 crores during the current financial year, which amounts to an increase of 35 percent”.
“This substantial increase may not be commensurate with the needs of the Panjab University, but this is due to the reason that there is no bilateral consultative process in place through which the University's financial management is affected,” he added.
He said that the need of the hour was to create a financial balance through a consultative process, vis-à-vis the University and the Punjab Government, so that a concrete plan or vision document for reasonable period, say 10 years, may be charted out collectively.
“Notwithstanding the alleged change in the character and composition of Chandigarh city into a ‘tri-city’, as claimed by Haryana, the unalterable fact is that the ‘tri-city’ was always in existence even when the state of Haryana decided to de-affiliate its colleges from this University and severed its all linkages with it. There has been no change in the character of the tri-city since that time,” he said.
Capt Amarinder said that the Haryana Government withdrew from the arrangements existing at that time on its own will and unilaterally, and it cannot be allowed to reverse its stand arbitrarily now. “The argument of tri-city is unplausible and is an afterthought,” he said, adding that considering these circumstances, no change in the nature and character of this university should be considered.
On an emotional note, Capt Amarinder said that Panjab University occupies an emotional place in the minds of Punjabis on account of historical, regional and cultural reasons.
