Thiruvananthapuram: 3 former universities registrars without salary now

Thiruvananthapuram: Three former registrars who have not attained retirement age are without salaries following the ordinance of the present government fixing the period of tenure of statutory officers of the universities like registrar, finance officer and controller of examinations as four years. The ordinance also prescribed 56 as their retirement age.

Following this, registrars of Kannur, Calicut and Sreesankara University for Sanskrit, Kalady, were removed after completion of the four-year term even though they did not attain retirement age.

However, two of the registrars were not given a posting even three months after the advocate general himself had agreed in the court that the interest of officials who had not completed 56 years would be protected. Of them, two were not given postings yet. Even though the other registrar got one, he has not been getting the salary for want of a favourable government order.

Former registrars Balachandran Keezhoth of Kannur University, Abdul Majeed of the Calicut University and Raveendran T.P. of Sreesankara University for Sanskrit were appointed at the time of the UDF government. Of them, Mr Majeed was the principal of an aided college in Wayanad, Mr Raveendran, associate professor of Pazhassi Raja NSS College Mattanoor and Mr Keezhoth the head of Cooperative college, Madayi.

Mr Raveendran was taken back to the service even though he missed his salary.

The other two have not been posted back in their parent colleges despite a vacancy.

The ordinance was issued on March 6. The assurance on protecting the teacher was given by the government while considering a petition by Mr Keezhoth on April 2.

The ordinance had also changed the mode of appointment to the statutory posts. University syndicates were the appointing authority. However, as the selection process of candidates to all non-teaching staff was referred to the Public Service Commission, these posts were supposed to be filled by the PSC. However, the ordinance has given syndicates the authority to make appointments to all the three posts.

Their term has been fixed to four years, like that of vice-chancellors and pro-VCs. However, syndicates have been given the freedom to provide a single term extension to candidates in the post