BELAGAVI: Admitting that the Law University of Karnataka is plagued by the lack of full-time staff in both teaching and non-teaching segments, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs HK Patil on Thursday announced that the government has decided to set up a four-member committee to regularise and appoint new employees.

In his reply to a query by BJP MLC SV Sankanur in the Council on Thursday, Patil said the committee will comprise the secretaries of the departments of personnel and administrative reforms, law and Parliamentary affairs, as well as a veteran syndicate member of any university. He assured the House that he would direct the committee to submit the report within two months. He, however, said that since the order of the Supreme Court also prevents certain appointments, the committee will be asked to consider all these aspects before preparing a report.

Earlier, Sankanur said that 80% of the teaching staff and almost 100% of the non-teaching staff work on contracts.

Patil said the total approved posts in the teaching department is 68 and of these, 11 are appointed on full-term, 21 on contacts bases and 36 posts are vacant. Similarly, of the total 171 approved non-teaching staffers, 152 posts have been outsourced, one appointed on contract and 18 posts are vacant. “Several of these staffers have crossed the legal age limit for appointment. These people have been appealing to the government to regularise their services,” Sankanur said.

Patil said he was aware of the issue and has empathy for the staff working on contract for years.