Common attendance register for American College staff

Shastry V.Mallady - THE HIND 11.11.11  ·  

As salary disbursement to staff became a casualty owing to fighting between two factions in the American College here for the past several months, the Department of Collegiate Education has itself taken up the responsibility of collecting staff attendance particulars through common attendance register for both the groups.

Presently, teaching and non-teaching staff belonging to both the groups are having separate attendance registers because of the dispute.

The common attendance register will be under the direct supervision of the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education office here and the American College staff (teaching and non-teaching) of both the factions have been asked to sign in it to facilitate smooth disbursal of salaries.

Salary disbursement was hampered as the disbursal authority happened to be the college secretary, and that was under dispute. “Right now, the college Secretary and Principal issue between two groups has not been resolved. Since the staff did not get their salary for the past 11 months (since December 2010), we [the government] had to take some efforts. I was asked to disburse the salary dues after verifying the records,” K.M.Ponnathal, Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Madurai, told The Hindu on Thursday.
[It is evident that the bishop's appointee is NOT capable of disbursing the salary and he is not approved by the government. Then who is he? How can he break open the Office lock and  sit in the Principal's Office and claim himself to be the Principal?]

While the staff attendance details of the past are being consolidated for salary disbursal, the officials have decided to have a common register from now on for smooth disbursal every month.

The Joint Director of Collegiate Education held two meetings with both the warring groups — on November 8 and 10 — where the common attendance register issue was informed to them.

“Both the groups in American College will have to sign in common register. It will be consolidated by the college superintendent and submitted to us every month,” Dr. Ponnathal said.

She informed that the non-teaching staff had started signing attendance from November 8. For the teaching staff of both rival groups, it will be done from November 23.

When contacted, P.R.Anbudurai, Principal in-charge, American College, whose group has been at loggerheads with pro-Bishop faction on the post of college Principal and secretary, has welcomed the common attendance register since verification of records became a problem at the moment because of two attendance registers for staff.

“There is no clear approval who is legally the Principal and secretary of American College. But, salary has to be disbursed as per court order.” 

[I don't know what orders did Mr. Mohan, the Bishop's appointee have! God only knows]

The Collegiate Education Department had insisted on only one attendance register for staff to be kept under their supervision. According to Dr.Anbudurai, the teaching and non-teaching staff belonging to both the groups would stand to benefit as they did not receive 11 months' salary which comes to around Rs.7 crore. 

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