Ministers, MLAs told to oversee dengue prevention measures in educational institutions

MADURAI: Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan on Monday said that Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had directed all Ministers and MLAs of the TVK government to oversee measures to prevent dengue and other vector-borne diseases in educational institutions.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a district-level education loan mela in Madurai, Viswanathan said that the Ministers and MLAs had been asked to visit educational institutions in their respective jurisdictions, oversee disinfection measures and initiate mass cleaning drives to prevent students from contracting dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

Asked about the delay in appointing Vice-Chancellors to State universities, the Minister admitted that the Vice-Chancellor plays a crucial role in the functioning of universities. “The CM is holding a series of meetings with the Tamil Nadu Governor in this regard,” he said. “Unlike the previous DMK government, which had an uneasy relationship with the Governor, the ruling TVK government was maintaining a cordial relationship with him.”

Viswanathan further clarified that the delay in appointing Vice-Chancellors was due to cases pending before the High Court and Supreme Court. “However, the government has appointed senior professors to run the institutions until the appointments are made,” he said.