MGU demands Rs 20 cr for NAAC visit preparations but finance dept says no funds

Kottayam: The state’s financial crisis has put universities, including Mahatma Gandhi university, into a  quandary. The university had demanded Rs 20 crore from the state to carry out construction works in the name of the forthcoming National Assessment Accreditation Council (NAAC) visit. But the finance department refused this request.

The funds were demanded for the renovation of buildings including the library. The NAAC team is set to visit the university at the end of this year.

The current instruction is to make use of the plan fund temporarily. However, out of the Rs 36 crore plan fund allotted to the university, only Rs 5.5 crore was given in two installments. Last year, of the Rs 34.5 crore allotted, only Rs 23 crore was given. 

Similarly, in 2021-22, Rs 18 crore of Rs 27 crore was sanctioned. The government also failed to provide Rs 16.5 crore non-plan fund last year due to which the university had to dig into its own pockets to find funds to pay salary and pension.

The Centre for Professional and Advanced Studies (CPAS), which was formed by merging all the self-financing institutions of the university, pays Rs 10 lakh every year as per prior agreement. This allocation was also not paid this year. Many construction activities in the university are moving at snail’s pace due to this unavailability of funds.