Chandigarh: The joint action committee of the Panjab University Teachers' Association (PUTA) on Thursday approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a request to convert his alma mater into a central university.

"We are praying that he will respond positively to the immediate need of his alma mater to get central university status," Manjit Singh, secretary of PUTA, told IANS.

"For the last two and a half months we are following a peaceful path to meet our goals. But now we will intensify our protest. We expect full support from students," Singh added.

He warned that more protests would follow when the university's new academic session opens, if the central university demand is not met.

Panjab University's budget deficit has mounted to Rs.470 million with the Punjab government freezing its 40 percent share at Rs.160 million annually.

The relay fast by PUTA, in which university students have joined, on Thursday entered its 73rd day. They are demanding central status for the university with 100 percent financial support from the central government.

The university faculty is distributing pamplets to highlight how PU students are paying more fee than those in the central university like Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. IANS