COLLEGE STAFF MEETS MADURAI COLLECTOR

American College staff seeks unpaid salaries

Imbroglio over Institution's Administration Has Held Up Payment For 14 Months

THE TIMES OF INDIA, MADURAI/TRICHY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012

Lecturers in the self-financing stream and a group of non-teaching staff of American College have been forced to work without pay for the past 14 months due to the imbroglio on taking over the administration of the century-old institution by two factions. The lecturers, about 46 of them and about 38 non-teaching staff submitted a petition to the Madurai collector U Sagayam to intervene and ensure that they get their pay. "We were duly recruited by the principal and secretary of the college. However, due to maladministration of late CSI Madurai diocese Bishop Rev Christoper Asir, we were forced out of the classrooms since December 2010. Still, we continued to conduct classes under the shades of trees and got the students to appear for exams with the support of Madurai Kamaraj University," the aggrieved faculty members said in their petition.

They further said, "When the classes began for the current semester in November 2011, we attempted to get into the class-rooms as instructed by the regional joint director of collegiate education. But Christopher Asir's son-in-law Davamani Christopher, who claims himself, to be the principal now. prevented us from entering the classes. Despite that we continue to teach students, but are not being paid for the past 14 months."

A lecturer, who is working for the past six years said, "The present principal had recruited lecturers in our place. While we were fully qualified and duly appointed, the appointment of these poorly qualified lecturers, is not valid. They are being paid
the money meant for us. This is our college. But they want to force us to leave the institution just because we opposed Christopher Asir."

Founded in 1881 by American Christian missionaries, American College, one of the oldest colleges in South India, is now embattled by the disputes between the members of management on governing the institution. The directorate of collegiate education stopped the payment of salaries to the staffs since December, 2010 due to internecine battle. Both the groups of administrative authorities filed petitions in the high court seeking disbursal of salaries. The high court, too. directed the state government to release teaching grant towards the salaries directly to bank accounts of the teachingand non-teaching staff. However, the regional directorate of collegiate education approved granting of the salaries in this manner only to faculties of aided stream and not for self-
financing management streams. "We want the status quo prior to December 2010 to be maintained," said one of the lecturers.

THINAMANI 28-02-2012