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Send VC on leave: PUTA
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19
The Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA), today urged the Punjab Government to send the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Mr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, on leave till the inquiry is completed against him.

A deputation of PUTA met the Principal Secretary, Education Department, Mr G.P.S. Sahi, and the Minister of Higher Education, Mr Mohan Lal, here in this connection.

After the meeting Mr Bhupinder Singh Khaira, President, and Mr Balwinder Singh, Secretary of PUTA, told TNS that only after sending the Vice-Chancellor on leave, an impartial inquiry could be held into the alleged irregularities in the university.

Mr Khaira and Mr Balwinder Singh, presented detailed list of allegations supported by a “fact sheet” to Mr Sahi, who has been deputed by the minister to hold an inquiry into the allegations levelled against Mr Ahluwalia by PUTA. Mr Sahi, has been asked to submit the inquiry report within 15 days.

Mr Khaira and Mr Balwinder Singh said an additional list of “facts” had been submitted to Mr Sahi, to support their complaint. They also referred to certain cases of bungling in the admissions to professional courses like B.Tech. Special mention was made of a student who was admitted to the B. Tech. course though he did not fulfil the basic qualification. Likewise, a student was admitted to the B.Com, Part I (correspondence course) only a few hours before the annual examination. He was allowed to sit in the examination. PUTA also raised the issue of the allotment of houses on the university campus.

Seeking the appointment of a regular Registrar of the university as per the statute, PUTA leaders said the university could not be run by appointing a part-time Registrar. They also pointed out that appointments of various deans in the university were being made on an ad hoc basis.

PUTA has also submitted a separate memorandum to the Punjab Governor, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, who is the Chancellor of the university, seeking his intervention in the matter.

Minister breaks silence

Breaking his silence on the inquiry issue, the Minister of Higher Education, Mr Mohan Lal, said it was within his purview to order the inquiry against the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University. “I represent the Punjab Government which has the powers to order such an inquiry”, he added. When asked to comment on the Vice-Chancellor’s contention that the university was an autonomous body and the minister had no power to order inquiry into its affairs, Mr Mohan Lal said the autonomy of any institution working within the framework of the state government was not absolute. “Moreover, the state government funds the universities and it has the right to ascertain whether rules and regulations are being followed while utilising such funds”. Mr Mohan Lal said it must be in the knowledge of the Vice-Chancellor that the inquiry against his predecessor was also ordered by the state government.