No syndicate meet for 11 months, action on probe reports delayed
PATIALA : Punjabi University has not held a syndicate meeting for the past 11 months, raising questions over the administration’s working. The last syndicate meeting, in which administrative issues were taken up, was held on August 21, 2019, under the chairpersonship of vice-chancellor professor BS Ghuman, whose tenure was renewed for three years by the Punjab government last month.
In March this year, only a special annual budget meeting that was attended by syndicate members was held.
The delay in holding the syndicate meeting has delayed action against officials and employees on the basis of the findings of inquiry reports related to allegations of corruption, nepotism and misuse of funds during 2007-2017.
FINANCIAL CRISIS NOT DISCUSSED’
A senior professor, who did not wish to be named, said, “Apart for fixing responsibility on those found guilty in inquiry reports, the administration has failed to discuss key issues concerning the varsity, primarily the acute financial crisis, by not holding a syndicate meeting. Over the past 11 months, appointments and key decisions have been made hoping that they will be approved by the syndicate, which is illegal.”
It may be mentioned that in June, the higher education department had given directions to hold a meeting. The directions have not been adhered to so far.
V-C Ghuman said “Though the meeting was held in March but only the annual budget was listed in the agenda. For other key administrative issues, the meeting will be held sooner.”
12 PROBES WERE ORDERED
Following the resignation of former vice-chancellor (V-C) Dr Jaspal Singh in March 2017, the then secretary of higher education, Anurag Verma, was appointed as officiating V-C.
Verma had received complaints regarding alleged irregularities in the university’s functioning from 2007 to 2017. These included allegations of nepotism, corruption, and bungling of funds in the examination branch, among other issues.
On the basis of these complaints, Verma had ordered 14 internal inquiries in April, 2017. The sealed reports of these were handed over to incumbent V-C prof BS Ghuman in December, 2017.