Staff crunch, student shortfall mar Palampur farm varsity

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 8

Financial irregularities, shortage of faculty, shortfall in enrolment of students and delay in completion of projects have been highlight by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its performance audit of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar HP Agriculture University, Palampur, for year ending March 31, 2017.

“Against the sanctioned strength of 380, 147 posts (37 per cent) are lying vacant, affecting the quality of education, while the shortfall in students’ enrolment in undergraduate courses ranges between 14 and 25 per cent during 2012-17. It varies from 27 to 67 per cent in postgraduate courses,” the report pointed out. About 61 to 70 per cent PhD seats are vacant. The university risked the future of 259 students, who passed out up to 2016-17, by running unrecognised MSc (biology) course during 2016-17 and non-accreditation of programmes under home science between 2013 and 2017.

The placement of students was poor and only 1,545 students passed out under different programmes during 2011-15. Only 94 (6 per cent) got placement through the placement cell of the university.

While the target of training farmers was achieved during 2012-17, there was a shortfall of 42 to 68 per cent in the achievement of target of agriculture extension training to government functionaries. Three research projects of Rs 6.98 crore to be completed between April 2012 and June 2016 are still incomplete, though and expenditure of Rs 4.79 crore was incurred up to March 2017. CAG report pointed out irregular expenditure of Rs 178.26 crore on pensioner benefits to employees during 2012-17 out of the state grants. The university gave advances to the tune of Rs 20.19 crore in 663 cases of 38 departments during 2014-17, which were unadjusted till March 2017, while advances of more than 4.55 crore were outstanding for more than five years. Out of the total expenditure during 2012-17, 68 per cent was incurred on salaries,16 per cent on contingencies and 16 per cent on the implementation of projects and works. The expenditure on salaries had increased from 57 per cent in 2012-13 to 78 per cent in 2016-17, while the expenditure on projects and works showed a downward trend from 18 per cent in 2012-13 to 9 per cent in 2016-17.

Of 312 research projects (Rs 418.67 crore) submitted by the university to the funding agencies during 2012-17, only 72 projects (23 per cent) were approved for Rs 24.20 crore.

Out of 72 projects taken up for execution, only 35 projects (49 per cent) were completed with an expenditure of Rs 15.84 crore and 12 projects (17 per cent) having an approved cost of Rs 2.08 crore were terminated in September 2014.The audit noticed that the university had not made any inventions during 2012-17 and in respect of eight inventions made during 2003-09, no patent was secured from the Patent Office of Government of India. as of July 2017.