Why Madras University Staff Are Protesting (image: www.facebook.com/University of Madras)
The teaching faculties and non-teaching staff at the University of Madras began an indefinite strike on Friday, March 1, over unpaid salaries. They demanded the release of the frozen bank accounts by the income tax department and urged the Tamil Nadu government to interfere in the financial crisis at the university.
The strike was announced after the Teachers and Staff Welfare Associations of the University held a day-long hunger strike on February 23, demanding the government address the institution”s financial situation and take appropriate measures. They asked the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that salary, pension, and other employee benefits to the staff and teaching faculties being paid.
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The university”s financial situation faced a massive blow when the Income Tax Department froze over 37 fixed deposit accounts of the institute at the beginning and then increased to more than 50 accounts, citing unpaid tax dues. In the notice, it has been stated that Madras University has failed to pay Rs 424 crore in tax and penalties that were due for the assessment years 2017-2018 to 2020-2021.
A university cannot be considered a government university if it has not received 50% of its funds from the government as subsidies and, thereby, is exempt from income tax. Over the past few years, the university”s ability to receive funds from the government has been reduced due to the objections of the audit department. Moreover, since 2017, the state government has stopped releasing regular grants to the university, which has also adversely affected its functioning.
Talking to Timeline, Dr. PK Abdul Rahiman, secretary of Teachers’ Collective at the university said: “It is very important that income tax department defreezes the accounts they have frozen; . . . the government of Tamil Nadu has not been releasing its regular grant to the university from 2017 which has again created immense financial stress on the university where the payment of the salaries, pensions and pension benefits of the retired employees have not been able to be paid.”
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In view of the seriousness of the situation, the Joint Action Committee of University Teachers and Officers Welfare Associations has been formed.
More than 800 employees of the institution, consisting of faculties, administrative staff, guest lecturers, housekeeping staff, and security guards, will leave their duties and join the strike today. Their intention behind the strike was to place their demands loud and clear before the state government, members of the joint action committee told The New Indian Express.
