Patna, Jan. 20: The annual senate meeting of Patna University, scheduled on January 22, has been deferred indefinitely. The postponement of the meeting till further order will delay the budget of the varsity, which may have a cascading effect on disbursement of salary of its employees.

The decision on postponement of the meeting was taken today after the chancellor’s office issued a letter to the university asking it to postpone the annual senate meeting till further orders.

Patna University registrar Manoj Kumar told The Telegraph: “We have received a letter from Raj Bhavan with a direction to postpone the annual senate meeting till further order.”

The Raj Bhavan letter also stated the next annual meeting of the senate would be held once the next vice-chancellor of university takes charge. The term of the present vice-chancellor, Shyam Lal, would expire on January 24.

Patna University Teachers’ Association general secretary Randhir Kumar Singh said: “Till now, the PU teachers have not received their new pay scale despite university fixing new salaries as per the University Grants Commission. The delay in submission of the budget will further increase the problems of the teachers and in such a scenario they will be barred from getting their present salaries as well.”

The postponement of the annual senate meeting would not only delay the annual budget but future of new courses to be started in the university would also hang in a balance as most of the rules, regulations and ordinances are passed after discussions in the meeting.

The university sources said an annual senate meeting has been postponed for the first time in the history of Patna University.

On Wednesday, uncertainty prevailed over the annual senate meeting. The PU syndicate, under the chairmanship of vice-chancellor Shyam Lal, discussed an estimated Rs 258 crore deficit budget, but could not approve it in view of the non-inclusion of the revised pay of some teachers and non-teaching employees.

Some syndicate members raised the issue of non-revision of pay of some university employees and demanded inclusion of their revised salary in the budget.

A TOUGH TIME

■ University will not be able to submit its annual budget to government because it has to be passed by the senate

■ Introduction of new courses in next year will hang in balance, because they also require senate’s approval

■ The university will not be able to submit its annual report to government