NTR varsity staff, students up in arms against fund diversion

Vijayawada: A Joint Action Committee (JAC) of students and faculty and staff of NTR University of Health Sciences on Tuesday decided to boycott the classes and other duties from December 1 in protest against the alleged diversion of university funds by the government. The JAC is alleging that the state government had diverted Rs 400 crore funds of the varsity from bank account to Andhra Pradesh Finance Services Corporation. The employees have demanded that the government immediately withdraw their funds from APFSC and deposit into their bank accounts. The employees are alleging that the cash starved state government may divert the funds for other purposes.

The JAC of students, faculty and staff met at the varsity on Tuesday resolved to "protect the university and its funds" from the evil designs "at any cost". It said it would also meet the state Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan to apprise him of the situation.

Leaders of the JAC accused the university authorities of succumbing to the pressure of the CMO in diverting the funds. The JAC consisted of all unions and associations of the university, they said. Education minister Audimulapu Suresh, however rebutted the charge to say "the government will not take away any university's funds if it has any problems. Anyway, this university does not fall under my purview". He went on to add that the state government had launched several welfare programmes for the students and 11 lakh students had been reimbursed Rs 650 crore so far under fee reimbursement programme.

The government was sensitive to people's problems and stood by them always including during the troubled Covid-19 times, he added.