HPAU VC under scanner for giving ‘wrong info’ in CV

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 19

The police today started investigation into the complaint filed against the Vice-Chancellor of CSK HP Agriculture University (CSK HPAU), Palampur, for submitting a wrong bio-data, while applying for the post of the VC in 2013.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that Himanshu Mishra in his complaint addressed to Prime Minister had alleged that VC Dr KK Katoch submitted a wrong bio-data before Chancellor Urmila Singh, while applying for the post of VC in 2013 and on the basis of this, the Chancellor cleared his name and he was appointed as the VC.

DSP, Palampur, Navdeep Kumar, said: “The SHO, Palampur, has been assigned the task to hold an inquiry as per the directions from Secretary (Home). The statement of the complainant Himanshu Mishra has also been recorded.”

In his complaint Mishra said Katoch in his bio-data at serial number 17 to 24 had claimed that he had authored articles in the journals of Indian Society for Soil Sciences in 1983 and a book “Kheti of ICAR” in 1984, 1985 and 1986, but these articles never appeared in these journals.

Dr Katoch also claimed to have written eight books, whereas in six books, he was just a patron and neither the author nor a publisher. The actual authors were Dr NN Angras, Dr Kushal Singh Rana and other working scientists of the university.

In his bio-data Dr Katoch claimed that because of his efforts he had managed funds worth Rs 19.5 crore from Rural Development Department Himachal Pradesh for watershed project.

However, official records revealed that no such proposal was submitted byDr Katoch in his individual capacity.

Misra had filed a similar complaint to Chancellor Urmila Singh in 2013, but no action was taken.

Later, he approached the PMO, who forwarded his complaint to the Principal Secretary, Home, who asked the DGP Himachal Pradesh to conduct fair and impartial inquiry.

Himansu said he had collected the entire information under the Right to Information Act. He said he on the basis of facts supplied to him by various department of the university had filed a complaint to the Chancellor and later to Prime Minister of India.

Meanwhile, all efforts to contact Dr KK Katoch proved futile as he was stated to be busy in a meeting.