Even as the university administration decided not to retrench and enforce pay cuts, Annamalai University faculty and non-teaching staff have decided to continue their protest with a new demand — remove M.A.M. Ramasamy and appoint state higher education minister as pro-chancellor.
The university administration convened the crucial syndicate meeting at its regional centre in the city on Friday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, university vice-chancellor Dr M. Ramanathan said syndicate members urged the university not to retrench employees and restrain from pay cuts.
“Taking members; recommendation into consideration we have decided not to send anybody out or cut their salary. We will approach the state government for more funds”, he said.
The vice-chancellor said that more number of students enrolled in some courses like computer science, due to which the university had to appoint more faculty but at a later point of time admission dipped in these departments and it was not right on the university’s part to dismiss the extra faculty.
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Council of Teaching and Non-teaching staff of Annamalai University convened an urgent meeting at Chidambaram on Friday to demand the management to give a written assurance that it would not retrench or cut salaries for its staff.
Mr S. Mathialagan, joint convenor of JAC, said that the circular should be sent to all departments concerned at the earliest. “We will withdraw the protest only after the assurances are met”, he said.
“TN should order a thorough probe into the scam. With Annamalai varsity being a government aided university TN should remove M.A.M. Ramasamy and appoint higher education minister instead,” he added.