The Jadavpur University Alumni Association is usually flush with funds, thanks to its well-established alumni around the world. But it is now reeling under a financial crunch.

So acute is the crisis that it is finding it difficult to pay salaries to the people it employs in its office on the university campus.

Donations have dried up and an end to the problems is not in sight, according to several association members.

They are unsure how they can keep supporting the poor but meritorious students.

The earnings by letting out the association’s auditorium and guest rooms on the university campus have stopped as the campus has been closed since March.

Hiren Ghosh, the president of the alumni association, shared with JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das the scale of support the association has been providing to students amid the pandemic.

“The financial status of the alumni association is not at all favourable now,” he said in a letter to Das. All donations from the usage of auditorium and guest rooms have stopped since March 2020 because of the closure. Foreign donations for students’ funds and other causes have stopped, he said. “We have been somehow paying wages to our 10 employees… till July. Do not know how long we can continue. But these are issues for the alumni association to handle. This is for your information only.”

Ghosh had graduated in mechanical engineering in 1961.

The main earnings come from generous contributions of the alumni based in the US and the UK and in other parts of the globe, he said.

“While renewing the membership they make generous contributions. At times some make hefty endowments. All these contributions are converted into fixed deposits and we pay scholarships to hundreds of students from the interest on the FDs. But we are not receiving that support from March,” Ghosh said.

Also, interest rates on fixed deposits have been dwindling, another office bearer said. So, the association looks forward to a sustained support to continue with its activities. “The interest rate on a fixed deposit was 9.5 per cent three years ago. Now, it is 5.5 per cent. On the other hand, the list of recipients is shooting up. So, we try to keep the coffer slush with funds… that has gone dry.”

The association, which has 4,000-odd members, has informed the vice-chancellor that it has helped 338 needy students; Rs 10, 37,800 was distributed to them. The money was transferred to their accounts last week.

Additionally, more than Rs 10 lakh was distributed to an equal number of students in February.

The association told Das about the figures to let him know that this support ensured the students could buy smartphones or high-speed data packs, which helped them attend classes through distance digital mode.

Das had on August 16 wrote to the association, seeking its support for 800-odd students encountering Net connectivity problems.

“We could provide substantial support based on the donations we had received till February. We don’t know how we can sustain the move in future. The members are reluctant to donate as everyone is facing financial troubles,” Ghosh said.

The association runs the Dr Triguna Sen auditorium on the ground floor of its building and lets it out for any kind of programme other than political.

The upper floors have five double bed AC guest rooms, which can be hired. “But earnings have stopped because of the pandemic. We are struggling to pay the monthly wages to the employees of the association,” a member said.