Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday passed a resolution against an “attempt” to change the status of Panjab University, Chandigarh, into a central university, while strongly urging the Centre not to consider any change in the prestigious institution’s nature and character.
Neither supporting nor opposing the resolution, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members questioned the “basis” of the resolution while declaring that they are in full agreement with other members regarding Punjab’s stake over PU.
BJP MLA from Pathankot and state unit president Ashwani Sharma, participating in the discussion on the resolution moved by the state Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, said that there was no need to move such resolutions mere “on the basis of apprehension”, and in fact, “there is a need for a dialogue”.
“I am saying it with full responsibility that there is no such move...there is a need for dialogue and not for any resolution. At least have a word with them (Centre)...Why don’t we constitute a committee in this regard...I am ready to go along with the Minister to have a word with the ministers or people in the Central Government,” said Sharma.
Also questioning the resolution, BJP MLA from Mukerian Jangi Lal Mahajan asked the State Government about the basis for bringing it. “Has the Centre sent any proposal, written to the State Government or given any statement regarding the move to centralise the university?” he asked while dubbing the resolution “without any basis”.
Mahajan said that the resolution was to mislead the general public as there was no such proposal by the Centre to change the University’s status. He alleged that the Punjab Government had failed to give its share of 40 per cent grant to Panjab University — a statement denied by Meet Hayer saying that Punjab has continuously been paying its share.
Sharma repeatedly asserted that they (both MLAs) are in favour that PU is of Punjab, but not this resolution. “Matte shaq de adhaar te nahi aaunde (we don’t move resolutions mere on the basis of apprehensions),” he said, as the Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan went ahead with the voting on the resolution.
The resolution, supported by the members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the main opposition Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and lone member of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), stated that any decision to change the Panjab University’s character won’t be acceptable to the people of Punjab and, therefore, any proposal, “in case it is being considered”, should be dropped with immediate effect.
Moving the resolution recommending the AAP-led Punjab Government to take up the issue with the Centre, Meet Hayer said that Punjab is being robbed of its rights by the Centre. “PU belongs to Punjab. It is our heritage. We will not let the Central Government centralise it,” he said.
He said that Panjab University has an “emotional connect with Punjab”; and AAP Government is ready to do 100 per cent funding to the University.
The Minister said that an attempt was being made by some vested interests to push the matter for a change in the status of Panjab University into a Central University on one pretext or the other. “Be it river waters-sharing, Punjabi-speaking areas or Chandigarh being made the state’s capital, Punjab has been a victim of infringement of state rights,” he said.
Congress MLA Pargat Singh said that it was not only the issue of Panjab University as the Centre is intended to gradually take away Chandigarh from Punjab. “Constant efforts are being made for a long time now to cut Punjab to size,” he said.
The resolution read that this House is concerned about the “attempt” being made by “vested interests” to push the matter for change of status of Panjab University into a central university on one pretext or the other.
“PU was re-commenced with the Panjab University Act, 1947, after Independence, and subsequently with the reorganisation of the state of Punjab in 1966, it was declared an inter-state body corporate under Section 72(1) of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, enacted by Parliament...Since its inception, PU has been continuously and uninterruptedly functioning in the state of Punjab. It was shifted from Lahore, the then capital of Punjab, to Hoshiarpur and then to Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab,” it said.
More than 175 colleges in the districts of Fazilka, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar are affiliated with Panjab University. “The entire territorial jurisdiction and the populace, which the Panjab University is catering to, falls in Punjab, in addition to the area under the Union Territory of Chandigarh, which despite many resolutions of this House has not been restored as the capital of Punjab state only and continues to be a Union Territory,” it added.
As per the resolution, “PU occupies an emotional place in the minds of Punjabis on account of historical, regional, and cultural reasons and it has emerged as an educational and cultural symbol of Punjab’s legacy and inheritance to the extent that it has almost become synonymous with the State”.
It said that despite the fact that the states of Haryana and Himachal stopped contributing their share of the maintenance deficit grants to the university, Punjab has increased its share from 20 to 40 per cent and has continuously been paying it since 1976. The Government of Haryana unilaterally withdrew the affiliation of its colleges from the university and transferred the same to the other universities within Haryana, which has reduced the revenue of the university, it added.
The Centre, vide its notification dated October 27, 1997, ceased the representation of Haryana in various governing bodies of the university, it added.
This House has observed that the university has been managing and conducting its financial affairs unilaterally. The State of Punjab has however increased the grant-in-aid from Rs 20 crore to Rs 45.30 crore during the 2020-21 financial year, which amounts to an increase of more than 75 per cent.
Besides, nearly Rs 100 crore is collected annually by the university from affiliated colleges in Punjab. “This substantial increase may not be commensurate with the needs of Panjab University, but this is due to the reason that there is no bilateral consultative process in place,” it said.