Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Gauhati University is bleeding cash. The institution faces an annual deficit hitting Rs 80 crore. To stop the rot, administrators are weighing a plan to cut pension payments for retired staff by 50 percent. The move surfaced during a recent meeting of the Executive Council.
Costs for salaries, daily operations, and pensions are skyrocketing. Meanwhile, government funding and internal revenue streams remain flat. The gap between money coming in and money going out has left the 1948 institution in a tight spot.
The proposal has triggered an immediate backlash. Pensioners and employee groups are pushing back hard. They argue that retirees should not pay for the school's fiscal mismanagement. One representative noted that the institution must find other ways to survive, stating, "retired staff and employees, who fear that the move could significantly affect their livelihoods."
The university has not finalized the cuts yet. No official approval has been granted. The state government now faces pressure to provide a bailout. Everyone is watching to see if officials can fix the books without hurting the people who built the university.
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