Bhubaneswar, Aug. 18: The technical education department formed an interim committee to resolve the financial deadlock at Barapada School of Engineering & Technology in Bhadrak.

As many as 400 employees of the college have not received their salaries for the past four months.

The teaching and non-teaching staff members are in dire straits and demanding the takeover of the college management by the government.

Technical education minister Sanjay Das Burma said the district collector would head the committee. Principal Mohan Charan Panda and Srikant Mohapatra, the representative of the staff members, would also take part in the deliberations.

Yesterday, the staff members had staged a dharna near the Assembly, demanding immediate payment of their pending salaries.

The committee would monitor the day-to-day income and expenditures and the district collector would draw the cheques, said a technical education department source.

The employees also threatened self-immolation in front of the chief minister's residence if their demands are not met.

On August 7, bombs exploded on the college campus while the agitators had been on a dharna, following which police arrested 11 persons.

On August 14, a strike was observed in Bhadrak town in support of the college employees.