Over 100 guest teachers at Tiruvannamalai Government Arts and Science College haven't received their salaries since November and the management is saying the teachers are to blame. The administration alleges that there are a few teachers who submit their claim forms late and that this is why the rest of the teachers get their payments late.

“None of the lecturers have received their salaries,” says Venkatesan Thangaraj, who also works at the college and is part of a guest lecturers association. “We always get our salaries only on the 15th of the next month. It’s already January, and we still haven’t gotten our salaries due in November,” he said.

Payments for guest faculty are processed based on ‘claim forms’ submitted by them to the college. “Even though we submit our claim forms by the first week of each month, we get our salary only after the third week,” said K Thirumalai, a chemistry guest lecturer from the college.

A senior administrative officer from the college explained that the process is delayed as a few guest lecturers fail to submit their forms on time.

“The college will not process the claim form until all guest lecturers have submitted them. Salaries will be credited within a week from the date the claim forms have been submitted,” she said.