The Tamil Nadu National Law University in TIruchi has been facing struggling with maintenance of the campus because of funds shortage.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU) is seeking funds from the State government to help support its infrastructure maintenance and development, the authorities have said.
The university, set on a 25-acre campus in Navalur Kottapattu, was constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD) at a cost of ₹79 crore. It has been functional since 2014, but did not undergo any maintenance until 2024, leading to a general decline in the building quality.
“This is a residential university that houses 650 students and over 30 teaching faculty and administrative staff on campus. We have been unable to offer full-time doctoral programmes and or generate income through training workshops for corporate entities due to the pathetic condition of our guest accommodation buildings,” S.M. Balakrishnan, Registrar, TNNLU, told The Hindu.
The university’s predicament was partially solved in the late 2023 on the request of the then Chief Justice of Madras High Court Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala, who was the Chancellor of TNNLU. “Justice Gangapurwala suggested that the government should give ₹4.96 crore to TNNLU every year for five to six years for maintenance,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.
Based on Justice Gangapurwala’s request and an audit report submitted by the then Engineer-in-Chief and Chief Engineer, PWD, Chennai, K. P. Sathyamurthy, the PWD carried out maintenance work on the campus in 2024.
The campus has 20 blocks covering a total plinth area of 46,846 sq. m. Problems such as dampness in walls, floor settling, and broken tiles were reported in the inspection.
However, several facilities are still in need of refurbishment said the authorities.
“Due to a higher number of women students, we are forced to let three students share a room in the hostel, which can be cramped. In the near future, the university will need an additional women’s hostel,” said the official.
As the visitors’ accommodation (20 rooms and two suites) is uninhabitable, residential quarters allotted to the Registrar and Controller of Examinations are being used for this purpose, as these officials are staying off-campus in Tiruchi.
According to TNNLU figures, the varsity had an annual funding deficit of ₹95.45 lakh in the financial year 2023-2024.
“We have asked for a funding of ₹3 crore a year for the next five years to make up for the shortfall until the student fee structure is revised,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.
Published – March 07, 2025 05:46 pm IST
