Chandigarh: The dispute over the delayed Panjab University Teachers’ Association (Puta) elections has intensified, with the association leadership questioning the validity of a faculty group’s demand for an emergent general body meeting (GBM), even as the group has announced an extraordinary GBM on Oct 15.In a communication to Prof Parveen Goyal, Puta president Amarjit Singh Naura and secretary Mrityunjay Kumar said the Puta Constitution does not provide for an “Emergent General Body Meeting” to be requisitioned in the manner mentioned in the faculty members’ communication.The office-bearers cited Article 23 (IV) of the constitution, which states that an emergent meeting can be convened only when the president and secretary believe exceptional circumstances exist or an urgent matter requires immediate attention. Such a meeting may be called with a minimum notice period of five days.The response came in reference to a requisition dated Sept 18 and a subsequent reminder dated Sept 22 seeking an emergent GBM. The leadership also urged members to avoid attempts to “misguide, confuse and divide” the association.However, in a fresh communication issued on Oct 2, the requisitioning faculty members described the proposed meeting as an “Extraordinary General Body Meeting” and announced that it would be held on Oct 15. The group said the requisition had the support of more than 40 faculty members and that reminders had been sent to the Puta president on Sept 22 and Sept 26.The proposed agenda includes announcement of a revised schedule for the Puta elections and appointment of a returning officer.The faculty members have relied on Article 23 (III) of the Puta Constitution, which provides for an extraordinary GBM on a written requisition signed by at least 40 members. Under the provision, the executive committee is required to convene the meeting within 15 working days of receiving the requisition. If it fails to do so, the requisitionists may themselves call the meeting after giving a further 10 days’ notice, provided the required number of signatures remains intact.The differing interpretations of the constitution have added a fresh dimension to the ongoing controversy over the Puta election schedule, which has already run beyond the prescribed timeline.
