Hyderabad: In the fifth week of their protest, faculty members at the National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM), Hyderabad, intensified their demand for the resignation and replacement of institute’s director S. Chinnam Reddy.
On Wednesday morning, faculty members boycotted classes, staged a protest at the college gates and prevented Reddy from entering the campus, despite security assistance. During the eight-hour-long protest that followed in Reddy’s office room, teachers refrained from conducting classes.
A teaching faculty member revealed that ongoing exams for one department were relocated to a distant block to minimise disruption. B.Sc courses were assigned assignments to ensure their studies aren’t impacted.
“The place is now a graveyard; before it is dead beyond revival, it must be saved,” expressed a lecturer during the protest. Despite the demonstration, Chinnam Reddy remained in his room, continuing his work throughout the day.
In response to the situation, a professor informed Deccan Chronicle that they reached out to the tourism department, which assured an investigation into the matter. The faculty emphasised their demand not only for Reddy’s removal but also for fair and transparent performance appraisals, timely increments and improved benefits. “No one is going to report to him ever again,” another professor told DC.
An additional update revealed that the faculty members received their salaries, but it came at the cost of breaking fixed deposits (FDs) of savings, as mentioned by one lecturer. The protest and subsequent developments follow a series of issues highlighted in a recent CAG report, exposing financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds under Reddy’s leadership. The report cited instances such as unauthorised constructions, salary excesses, losses from ventures like ‘Tummy Full’ and non-compliance with academic standards.
