SHIVAMOGGA: Kuvempu University Vice-Chancellor Prof Sharath Ananthamurthy, on Saturday, strongly objected to alleged remarks made by Mysore University Vice-Chancellor Prof Lokanath over the recent release of pension grants to state universities.
The state government recently sanctioned pension funds to six universities namely Mysore, Karnataka, Bengaluru, Gulbarga, Mangalore and Kuvempu, providing temporary relief to retired employees who had faced hardships due to delays in pension payments over the past several years.
In a media statement, Prof Lokanath reportedly said that the Rs 25 crore sanctioned to Mysore University was insufficient and that a financial liability of about Rs 82 crore still remained. He also claimed that while Mysore and Karnataka universities had made considerable efforts to secure funds, Kuvempu, Gulbarga and Mangalore universities received higher allocations despite not needing them.
Responding to the remarks, Prof Sharath said all six universities were facing serious financial constraints and that the government’s decision to release pension grants should be viewed positively. He said Kuvempu University has over 300 pensioners and has been unable to pay pensions to employees who retired in the past five years.
“Kuvempu University had sought around Rs 29 crore towards pension liabilities, of which only Rs 15 crore has been released so far, leaving a substantial burden still unaddressed,” he further added.
Prof Sharath also termed the claim that Kuvempu University had benefitted more than others as inappropriate and condemned the remarks. He said that the university heads should place their concerns before the government rather than making dismissive statements about other institutions. Integrating pension payments with the HRMS system would offer a permanent solution to the issue, he concluded.