Angul, June 24: Severe staff shortage at Angul Government Autonomous College has affected studies, especially in Plus Three and postgraduate courses. This has created resentment and despair among students.

The staff position is grim this year with no fresh posting being made against vacancies arising out of the transfer and retirement of lecturers.

In view of such situation, meritorious students are reluctant to take admission in the college.

“There are 19 teachers available in Plus Three and postgraduate course as against the sanctioned strength of 55.

Thus, about two-thirds of the posts are lying vacant. The situation in the Plus Two course is better, with 15 working against the total sanctioned strength of 23,” said college principal Sudansu Kumar Mahanty.

“The worst affected are the zoology and history departments, where there are no teacher as against the sanctioned strength of four and three respectively in Plus Three courses.

“The geography department will also be without a lecturer after July following the retirement of the only teacher working now. In almost all the departments in Plus Three and postgraduate courses, teaching staff shortage is acute and this is hampering studies,” he said

Things have taken a turn for the worse this year, with the retirement of seven teachers, said Mahanty.

Explaining how the situation was being managed, the principal said available lecturers had been asked to take more classes and some more teachers were posted on contract basis to manage the classes.

“We have been facing a lot of problems because of teaching staff shortage. Many classes are suspended because of staff crunch.

“The government has to pay serious attention to this problem and take steps to post the required teachers immediately,” Ranjan Pradhan, a student, said.

Admitting that the situation at the college was deplorable, the president of the college governing body, Meena Ketan Purohit, said: “We have been writing to the government time and again to provide teachers to the college. The government has assured us to post some teachers after the recruitment is made, but that is not happening.”