Anandpur Sahib, February 25
A prestigious educational institute of North India, Sri Dasmesh Academy of Anandpur Sahib will be closed down on March 31. The fact become clear today as the management of the academy issued termination notices to all employees.

Sources informed that a notice was displayed in the academy by Ali Marshal (retd) M.M. Singh, member secretary of the management committee, stating that the academy would be shut down on March 31.

All 114 regular employees, including teachers of the academy, have been issued termination notices giving them three months time to file their replies. Ten temporary employees have been given 10 days to file their replies.

The management has cited no reason for closing the academy but sources say that the management has been facing acute shortage of the funds for the past few years.

Uncertainty over the fate of the academy had been prevailing for the past few days.

The present crisis surfaced one month ago when the Principal, Mr Nicholas Gomes, resigned from the post. He did not cite any reason for his resignation but sources informed that the immediate cause was inability of the government and the management to get financial aid for the institution. He is leaving the academy on February 28.

The employees felt that the resignation of the Principal was clear indication of the move of the management to close the institution. Thereafter the joint action committee of the employees met the Chief Minister three day ago.

Members of the joint action committee said the academy had been facing financial crisis for the past few years due to lack of effort of the management and the state government to tide over the crisis.

The first sign of financial crisis emerged in 2003 when about 20 Class IV employees had been retrenched. Later they were again recruited following an agitation by the employees.