MYSURU: Retired teaching and non-teaching staff of the prestigious, century-old Mysore University are struggling to get their pensions cleared. These 1,900 pensioners, besides approaching the university administration, have also shot off a letter to the government to intervene. Though the pensions were paid regularly all these years, there was an issue in April when it was delayed by a week. But August has been a nightmare as they had not been paid till August 15.
The government has made it clear to universities across the state that they have to generate their own revenues to pay pensions. But Mysore University has not been able to, ever since Mandya and Chamarajanagar were spun off into separate universities, except the colleges offering postgraduate courses.
The Mysore University, in its budget estimate for 2025-26, stated that the government sanctioned Rs 60 crore as against the demand for Rs 157.54 crores as pension grant, causing a big deficit.
The state government, replying to a letter to the university financial officer, has stated that it released Rs 12.50 crore to nine universities, of which Rs 4.44 crore is for Mysore University.
Sources pointed out that the recruitment of excess non-teaching staff is one of the reasons for the financial mess. Jameel Ahmad, a retired teacher, said it is also because of financial profligacy and lack of transparency that enabled a former vice-chancellor to ‘misuse’ and divert a pension corpus of Rs 100 crore that triggered the crisis.
Another retired employee said the University should give details of communication on pension and other benefits, instead of keeping it under the wraps. Former vice-chancellor KC Belliappa said the trifurcation of the university severely reduced its financial resources, while several other universities in the state too face a similar situation. A few others suggested that the government should pay pensions through the Human Resource Management System, like it is done for salaries, instead of asking the university to do it.
Mysore University Vice-Chancellor Prof NK Lokanath said the only way out of this crisis is for the state government to release funds. “We have communicated with the government and funds will be released in a day or two,” he said. The government should release grants for the smooth functioning of the university and payment of pensions and salaries, he said.