Shiv Das Meena, an IAS officer, appointed as Administrator of Annamalai University, took charge at Chidambaram on Thursday.
Cuddalore District Collector R.Kirlosh Kumar, Chidambaram Sub-Collector Subramanian and Additional Superintendent of Police M.Durai were present on the occasion.
In a brief interaction with the presspersons, Mr Meena said that as per the government order he had come to the university as the Administrator. He would study the entire details, including the administrative and financial issues of the university.
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He would be reporting directly to the Higher Education Department. The academia and the faculty have widely welcomed the move of the government as it would bring to an end the unrest in the university.
There is a widespread opinion that the university has produced quite a large number of graduates, post-graduates and research scholars, who have come to occupy plump positions in the country and abroad and they are the face of Cuddalore.
The teaching and non-teaching staff were agitated over the university’s move to adopt austerity measures when serious administrative lapses and the financial sickness of the prestigious institution came to light.
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Welcoming the appointment of the administrator, the Joint Action Council of the Annamalai University’s Teachers and Staff Associations has termed it as a major success for its relentless struggle to streamline the administrative and financial aspects of the university,
S.Mathiyalagan, Joint Coordinator of the JAC told The Hindu that the government’s action augured well for the teaching and non-teaching staff. It is hoped that the Administrator would closely watch the administrative and financial aspects of the university on a daily basis and send reports to the government. He said the JAC would continue to insist that there should not be any retrenchment of teaching and non-teaching staff and nor any curtailment in salary and perquisites.
The JAC also still stood firm on its demand that incumbent Pro-Chancellor M.A.M.Ramaswamy should be removed from the position and the responsibility should be entrusted to the Higher Education Department.
But, Mr Mathiyalagan admitted that such far reaching changes could be brought about only after amending the university rules. University sources said the government had taken the action as it was obviously not satisfied by the report submitted by the Special Syndicate convened recently on how to overcome the financial crisis.