| No funds sanctioned for 2015-16, staff not paid for three months | | JU's offsite campuses face closure threat | | Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 10: Insensitivity and lack of vision of the authorities is threatening to jeopardize the crucial education sector of the state that has direct bearing on the future of the youth of this lesser state.
After closing a large number of schools, the onslaught is now on offsite campuses, which are badly paralysed by the denial of any financial aid to them for financial year 2015-16.
Sources said that financial crisis has virtually paralysed the functioning of six offsite campuses of University of Jammu, wherein employees have not been paid their salaries for the last at least three months, as the state government has refused to grant funds.
The Finance department has reportedly forwarded a communiqué to Jammu University authorities that financial autonomy has been granted to all the offsite campuses, which means latter have to generate their own resources to run their affairs.
"Usually funds to the tune of Rs 3 Crore are sanctioned to JU for offsite campuses but for financial year 2015-16, not a single penny was released till closing of financial year on 31st March 2016 for offsite campuses Kathua, Kishtwar, Reasi, Poonch, Ramnagar and Udhmapur", sources said, adding that due to shortage of funds, offsite campuses have failed to do any work for the development of institutions, which are in nascent stage.
"We have been managing the affairs of campuses from the funds of previous financial year and even salary of last few months was given from local fund", an official said, adding that at this stage refusal of funds, would result into closing of these campuses.
An official of JU, pleading anonymity said that the University authorities have pursued the matter with Higher Education department for release of funds of previous financial year.
"The Finance department is in consultation with Higher Education department and they have been revisiting the decision, as whether the decision of granting financial autonomy will not impact functioning of the campuses", he said, adding that a decision would soon be taken and if not it would be very tough to run these institutions. |
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