Chennai: The issue of vice chancellor’s post remaining vacant at the prestigious Anna University for a “long time” rocked the State Assembly on Wednesday prompting the Higher Education Minister K. P. Anbalagan to assure that a new VC will be appointed in about four month’s time.
Responding to the issue raised by DMK member and former Minister Thangam Thennarasu in the Assembly Mr. Anbalagan said the previous Governor had rejected the recommendation of the search committee while appointing the VCs for Madras University and Madurai Kamaraj University. “The then Governor was unhappy with the three names furnished to him. He had said that their qualifications were not up to the mark,” Mr. Anbalagan said and assured that Anna University would have a vice chancellor in about four months’ time.
Integrated fishing harbour to be built soon:
Announcing that the State government is willing to take up search and rescue activities if the affected fishermen “provided information” State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar told the Assembly that the government would initiate steps to ensure a safeguard mechanism for the fishermen.
“The government has already initiated temporary relief works in Kanyakumari district. As a permanent step, we have plans to set up an integrated fishing harbour at a cost of Rs. 2,000 crore,” Mr Jayakumar said. Already, the government had constituted a committee to verify whether the relief has reached all the affected families in the cyclone Ockhi-hit Kanyakumari district, the Minis-ter said while replying to Congress member Rajesh Kumar who sought enhanced allocation to the cyclone ravaged families in the district.
