Staff fear loss of jobs after govt takeover of two colleges

According to a GO issued on February 28, a total of 41 constituent colleges attached to 22 State universities in Tamil Nadu is set to be absorbed by the government.

The list includes colleges located at Tiruvennainallur (Cuddalore district) and Thennangur near Vandavasi (Tiruvannamalai district).

Both the colleges were constituents of the Tiruvalluvar University, which caters to students in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and Villupuram districts.

When contacted, staff of the two colleges expressed fears over the safety of their jobs, claiming that the GO states that they would initially be “on-deputation” with no time limit being fixed as to when the deputation tenure will end.

University sources said they were uncertain about the deputation period, adding that the government must take steps to fill up existing vacancies.

“Almost all government colleges in the State have several vacancies. Classes are usually handled by guest lecturers now. The situation could change only when the government calls for applicants to select staff for various vacancies,” an official said, adding that he does not know whether the vacancies will be filled by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB).

Meanwhile, another section of staff have urged the government to absorb the remaining four constituent colleges of the University located in Arakkonam, Tirupattur (both in Vellore district), Kallakurichi and Thittakudi (both in Villupuram district).