College shut in 2009, principal still gets pay

HASSAN: The law college in Paduvalahippe, a small village in Holenarasipur taluk, was shut in 2009 on the Bar Council of India's (BCI) orders. But that has not stopped the principal, teaching and non-teaching staff, from drawing salaries to this day.The college, sanctioned by the BJP-JD(S) coalition government at former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's village in 2007, began functioning from 2008 with just five students.In 2009, the BCI withdrew permission for the college citing lack of infrastructure. However, Grade I principal Malalaiah, seven permanent lecturers and a college superintendent have been drawing UGC scale salaries since then. The lecturers have been working in different colleges on deputation.Though the furniture, library books and computers have been gathering dust, sources said Malalaiah, who will retire by the end of this year, visits the college every two months to collect the salary cheque from superintendent Dharmappa, who is also on deputation at the Government Arts College in Hassan. The district authorities have allowed this to continue for the last two years.