Fee hike by CUSAT to raise funds

Updated on: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is exploring other options to raise funds to keep it afloat, the state finance minister K.M. Mani informed in the recently presented state budget.

The varsity syndicate finance standing committee chairman Lopez Mathew may announce an across the board hike in fees for courses in the budget to be presented on Thursday.

The syndicate finance standing committee aims to mop up at least Rs 15 crore by way of various austerity measures and by effecting hikes in fees by different percentages for different courses.

This is because of the meagre increase that the state finance minister has given in the non-plan grant for the varsity in his budget this year.

CUSAT asked for an allocation of `92 crore in the non-plan account even while K.M. Mani raised it to Rs 36 crore from last year’s Rs 29.26 crore, an increase of 23 per cent.

The varsity wanted Rs 92 crore to cross the existing deficit of Rs 35 crore and meet the anticipated non-plan expenditure of Rs 57 crore which includes paying salaries and pensions. The plan outlay in the state budget for the university increased from Rs 12 crore to Rs 13 crore.

Though the finance minister has not responded properly  to their demands, the syndicate members are planning to meet and ask him once again to give CUSAT the funds to pay the salaries of the staff for the posts sanctioned by the government.

Varsity authorities are now moving in the direction of meeting the other expenses on their own and thus reason their stand with the government.

The CUSAT budget is set to emphasise bringing in disciplinary measures like cutting down posts and redeploying existing staff, which the varsity was already considering.

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