CHENNAI: Former chief minister O Panneerselvam slammed the state government for not sanctioning sufficient funds for the University of Madras. He demanded the intervention of Chief Minister MK Stalin to redress the issue to ensure smooth functioning of the university, which was established in 1857.

The state university, which is ranked as one of the top institutions in the country, has been facing a financial deficit. It has been facing difficulty to disburse monthly salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff, Panneerselvam said in a statement.

The university needs Rs 18.61 crore to meet expenditures in a month. However, the University had only Rs 5 crore as on May 5 this year. The authorities have pooled in funds from the voluntary pension scheme and its trust to match the deficit for the month, he said and hit out at the state government that the university has been pushed to its limit as it failed to release the state grant for the institution on time. The government has been delaying the process, he charged.