Team to monitor merger of AUTs

COIMBATORE: A six-member team of bureaucrats headed by additional chief secretary Sheela Balakrishnan will monitor the merger of the five Anna Universities of Technology (AUTs) with the parent Anna University in Chennai.The AIADMK government had enacted the Tamil Nadu University Law (Amendment and Repeal) Act 2011 to merge the AUTs in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tiruchi and Chennai with the premier Anna University. The Act was notified in the Gazette in late September but it was not given effect till date.Since the merger involves changes in the affiliation process, transfer of students, conduct of examinations and transferring of staff, assets and liabilities of the AUTs to the Anna University, the government has constituted a monitoring panel. A Higher Education Ministry order issued on Monday said that the Sheela Balakrishnan Committee would comprise principal secretary of Higher Education Department, secretaries of finance expenditure and law departments, commissioner of technical education and joint secretary (higher education) as members.“The committee will assess the properties, assets and liabilities of AUTs, take stock of the inventories, workout the strategy for maintenance of regional offices and confer powers and duties of the regional offices as per the Act,” the order said. The team will also prepare a list  of teaching, non-teaching and administrative staff and suggest ways to deploy them in their respective parent departments.Audit teams will also be formed to prepare an inventory of movables like laptops, cell phones and cars in possession of the AUTs. “The assets should be verified against bills to ensure that assets in existence are those which were actually bought,” the order said.The committee will function till the process of the merger is completed.