Three years on, teachers who prepared course material for UoM yet to be paid dues

Mysuru: In what appears to be a case of bureaucratic apathy, six scholars associated with the department of anthropology at University of Mysore (UoM) who prepared study material for a postgraduate course in the subject are yet to be paid for a service they rendered three years ago.
M Annaporna, 65, along with five other teachers in the department crafted the study material for the postgraduate course in 2016. In the past three years, the six teachers have requested the many vice-chancellors who have occupied the position for their rightful emolument, but to no avail. They have even approached the higher education minister, but there seems to be solution in sight for their problem.
Annapoorna, who retired as a UoM lecturer, in 2015 told TOI that she was owed a sum of Rs 1.3 lakh. “My colleagues in the department too are owed, on average, about Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh,” she added.
Besides seeking her dues, Annapoorna has a lot on her plate. A mother suffering respiratory problems and in need of attention throughout the day is something that preoccupies her. Pointing to a past incident wherein a faculty member who protested non-payment of dues was remunerated within 24 hours after the demonstration, Annapoorna asked why they were being made to endure this ordeal three years after completing the work allotted to them. “We will wait for a few more days. If the authorities fail to settle my dues, I will stage a protest to draw the attention of the varsity authorities to my plight,” Annapoorna said.
UoM VC Prof G Hemantha Kumar, on being informed about the problem, admitted to being unaware of the issue, while assuring Annapoorna and her fellow workers of looking into the problem on Monday.