Trichy: The state government is unlikely to convert constituent colleges into government colleges any time soon mainly due to the financial burden it brings. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was quick to announce in the assembly on June 1 the absorption of 41 constituent colleges under state-run universities as government colleges.“But high financial burden is worrying the government which has put the conversion process in the backburner over the last four months,” said a source in the higher education department. Besides this, universities too have expressed their inability in absorbing permanent teachers presently working in the constituent colleges.A government order was expected soon after the chief minister’s announcement in the assembly. However, there has been no progress since then, except for the direction to maintain status quo in these colleges. Situated mostly in rural areas, most constituent colleges cater to the higher education needs of the people in these areas. University Grants Commission and state government had borne the expenditure of these colleges in the first five year of their inception.Now that most of the colleges are close to a decade old, the whole burden has come on to the state universities which have been expressing their inability to meet the expenditure, especially the salary component of the teachers. “The state government has to bear an additional Rs 152.20 crore every year towards these colleges. Considering the pending appointment of over 3,000 faculty members in 99 government colleges, the cost will further escalate,” said a faculty member from a city government college.“Many of the state universities have raised concern over absorbing back permanent faculty members presently working in the constituent colleges in the university system,” said the state vice-president of Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers Association (TNGCTA), G Ramesh. Transfer of higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal at the end of August too has had its share of delaying the process as it would take at least a few months for Mangat Ram Sharma, who has taken over as the secretary, to understand the dynamics, he said. Director of collegiate education R Sarumathi could not be reached over phone.

Stay updated with all the Latest Trichy headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.