Annamalai University has enhanced manpower in its printing press with the twin objective of redeploying excess staff and making the institution self-sufficient in its printing requirements, according to Shiv Das Meena, University Administrator.
He told The Hindu on Monday that the university had set up its own printing press in 1986 in a three-storey building to cater to the requirements of the university in general and the Directorate of Distance Education in particular.
Hitherto the press was functioning with 83 employees who worked in a single general shift. However, from Monday, he had introduced two shifts of eight-hour each. The first shift would be from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the second shift from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Staff strength had been raised from 83 to 125, and the increased strength had come from the study/information centres of the university.
Mr. Meena said that these measures had been taken to increase the turnout rate of the press as it had to bring out various printing works such as budget estimate, applications, prospectus, annual reports, study materials for the regular and distance education programmes and so on.
So far, the requirements of the university were met from is own printing press and through outsourcing. The university used to incur huge expenditure on account of the printing orders given to private press.
