Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has assured the Delhi Tamil Education Association that one of the seven Tamil schools run by it would be upgraded to a college and affiliated to a Central university in the Capital. She gave the assurance while participating in the Pongal celebrations organised by DTEA School on Mandir Marg. She was responding to a request in this regard made by M.N. Krishnamani, president of the Delhi Tamil Sangam. She said a Central university had been sanctioned recently to the Delhi Government and she would be able to upgrade one of the seven DTEA senior secondary schools to a college.
As for non-payment of salaries to 33 assistant teachers recruited in 2007, Ms. Dikshit regretted that the issue has been kept pending for over 18 months and said she would look into the problem and see that the salaries of these teachers were released immediately. Earlier, the Chief Minister took part in the festivities by joining in the preparation of sweet Pongal. She distributed awards to students who won prizes in various competitions. R. Mukunthan, secretary of the Sangam, highlighted the plight of the 33 teachers who were being denied salaries despite a direction by the Delhi High Court in September 2008 to release their salaries in two months. He requested the Chief Minister to intervene in to the matter.