CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday denounced the MK Stalin-led DMK regime over the non-payment of salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff in State universities.
Palaniswami criticised the State government following a protest by faculty members of the University of Madras on Monday, over delays in salary disbursement. In a statement, he alleged that teaching staff and employees of Madurai Kamaraj University had not received their salaries for several years. Retired staff of the university have also been waiting for their settlement for years, he added.
Meanwhile, complaints have surfaced regarding irregularities in appointments at Tamil University in Thanjavur, which is also reportedly facing issues with salary disbursement. In addition, around 8,000 assistant professor posts have remained vacant across 180 government colleges over the past three years, resulting in the closure or non-functioning of several departments in these institutions. This, Palaniswami said, has had a serious impact on the quality of higher education in the State, with student enrolment in higher studies also declining in the 2024–2025 academic year.
Instead of addressing these pressing issues, the Stalin-led government is preoccupied with publicity stunts, the Leader of Opposition said. However, the people of Tamil Nadu and the student community will not be misled by the DMK's mirage, he added.