More than 100 members of Madurai Kamaraj University Pensioners’ Association staged a fast on Friday in front of the hall where the Senate meeting was in progress to highlight their long-pending issues, including many anomalies in disbursal of retirement benefits to a section of retired staff.
The pensioners alleged that the university did not even have a separate room for proper maintenance of their records, indicating the scant regard shown by university towards pensioners. They said that their long-pending demand for computerisation of their records had also not been met.
They also demanded that medical insurance be provided by the university for all the retired staff members.
A. Vijayarajan, president of the association, said that no follow-up action had been taken by the university based on the issues raised in the pensioners’ grievance redressal meeting on April 4, 2016.
The pensioners also highlighted that MKU’s Corpus Fund, a major source for providing retirement benefits, was in an unsatisfactory position and demanded stringent action by the university administration to improve the funds.
Several Senate members also spoke on the demands of the pensioners at the meeting.
Later, based on an assurance by G. Arumugam, Registrar (in-charge) that their demands would be favourably considered in a meeting scheduled for this purpose next Wednesday, the pensioners gave up their fast in the afternoon.
