CHENNAI: Nearly six months have passed since a state-wide anti-drug survey undertaken under the Drug Free Tamil Nadu Mission was completed but the students and faculty members who carried it out are yet to receive the honorarium promised.
The survey, conducted according to a directive issued by the home, prohibition and excise department on September 16, 2025, covered a total of 4,865 educational institutions across Tamil Nadu. This included 1,131 higher education institutions (50%), 2,637 higher secondary schools (30%) and 1,097 high schools (20%), based on a systematic random sampling method.
A structured field mechanism was deployed for the exercise. As per it, each district had a District Investigator, while clusters of 25 institutions were monitored by Cluster Investigators. Under them, Field Investigator Teams, comprising two students, preferably from third-year undergraduate courses, were assigned to collect the data.
Each team surveyed around five institutions and gathered responses from 60 individuals. A total of 38 district investigators, 212 cluster investigators and 1,946 field investigators participated in the survey work. The survey was completed in October.
As per the official plan, District Investigators were to receive an honorarium of Rs 5,000 each, while cluster investigators were to receive Rs 3,000, and Field Investigators, Rs 1,500 each.
Several participants who carried out the exercise, however, claim that the payments have not been released yet.
A faculty member from a government polytechnic college in Tiruvallur district, who served as a Cluster Investigator, said students have been enquiring about their dues. “I checked with my district head, but there has been no clear response,” the staff member said.
The eight cluster heads whom TNIE spoke to gave similar responses. We lodged complaints with the Directorate of Collegiate Education and the Directorate of Technical Education through which the surveys were conducted, but have received no response, they said.
Directorate of Collegiate Education officials couldn’t be reached for comment.