Mohali — The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Employees Association staged a demonstration at the board complex in Mohali, holding a “gate rally” to protest against the state government’s delay in clearing massive pending dues. Protesters called on the Punjab government to immediately release ₹574.55 crore owed across multiple state departments to save the board from severe financial strain.
Key Financial Claims & Breakup
During the rally, Paramjit Singh Benipal, General Secretary of the PSEB Employees Association, pointed out that while the board is expected to run self-sufficiently without proper direct financial grants, several state government departments have failed to pay their dues:
- Books Supply (Social Justice & Minorities Dept.): ₹229 crore pending for books supplied between 2020 and 2024.
- Class 5 & 8 Examination Fees (SCERT): ₹187.43 crore pending since 2019.
- SC/BC Student Fees (Class 10 & 12):
- Class 10: ₹51.46 crore
- Class 12 (since 2016): ₹13.14 crore
- Rent Dues: ₹40.82 crore owed for six state-occupied buildings.
- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Dues: ₹33.18 crore pending since 2011.
- Directorate of School Education (Secondary): ₹18.46 crore.
Key Employee Demands & Concerns
- Pay Commission Arrears: Employees raised concerns over unpaid pay commission arrears and pending financial benefits.
- Dilapidated Infrastructure: Gurcharan Singh Tarmala, Senior Vice-President, highlighted that the board’s residential housing complex for staff is in poor condition, and the board currently lacks funds even to carry out basic maintenance and renovations.
- Burden of Free Schemes: Union leaders argued that while the state government routinely issues mandates for free services (such as free certificate issuance or fee waivers), the financial burden is passed on to the board without funding. They demanded that the state government bear the full cost of any free scheme it announces.
