State govt. panel to review block grants, says it is not obliged to fund varsity staff salary or pension

7-member committee to periodically review block grants due to state unversities

The government has constituted a committee to determine revision of block grant due to universities under the purview of the Higher Education Department.  

The convenor of the committee will be the secretary (expenditure), finance department. The person will also serve as the chairman of the committee, which will have seven members, including the commissioner of technical education; higher education deputy secretary; commissioner of collegiate education; director-general of audit or a representative and member-secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education. The Finance Department’s additional secretary will be the member secretary. 

A clause in the terms of reference for the committee “though the government is not obliged to fund for salary or pension of the university suggesting a framework for sustenance of the universities” has surprised university administrators.  

Just a few weeks ago, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar, while visiting the city, had pointed out to mediapersons that a State varsity was the State’s responsibility and sufficient grants had to be released.

A former administrator of the University of Madras, which has been sanctioned ₹7.56 crore as a block grant, pointed out that the government was obliged to pay the salary, PA, DA, HRA and CCA to teaching and administrative staff.

Former professor P.T. Srinivasan of the University of Madras said the higher education department should seek feedback from university administrators in such matters. “The committee should give an opportunity to people in the know of things to give a perspective,” he said.

A professor felt there was a need to conduct manpower assessment of the university. The administration structure was developed when the university had under its purview higher education institutions in the entire state. With more universities some administrative posts are redundant and can be dispensed with now,” he said. 

A former university administrator averred that the state had not adequately met its obligation. “The university pays pension from its own revenue. With the State defaulting on the salary grants citing local fund audit objection the university was forced to redirect its revenue for the purpose leaving pensioners without being paid their retirement terminal benefits,” he pointed out.

Madras university’s staff who retired after 2017 are yet to receive their retirement benefits.

Published - December 04, 2024 12:32 am IST