High Court lawyer appeals against PAU VC’s extension

LUDHIANA: A Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer has made an appeal to the Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)-cum-Punjab Governor VP Badnore against the proposed extension to Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

PAU VC Baldev Singh Dhillon

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 29

A Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer has made an appeal to the Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)-cum-Punjab Governor VP Badnore against the proposed extension to Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

In his appeal, advocate Hari Chand said, “Under Section 24 (4) of the Model Act for Agricultural Universities in India, 2009, the VC of such an agricultural university can hold his office only up to 70 years. However, Dr Dhillon is already 72-year-old. Therefore, he cannot be re-appointed as a VC.”

He further added that the Accreditation Board of ICAR, in its meeting held on 11.3.2014, had decided that accreditation to the Punjab Agricultural University was being given for the period from 11.3.2014 to 10.3.2019, inter-alia-on the condition that the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, should make necessary arrangements in its Acts and Statutes according to the ICAR Model Act, 2009, and submit the report to the accreditation board within six months. However, the PAU, Ludhiana, and the Punjab Government have failed to do the needful till date.

In his appeal, Chand further said the Accreditation Board of ICAR had also directed the PAU, Ludhiana, to ensure that the mode of selection of the Vice-Chancellor and tenure of his appointment had to be on par with the ICAR Model Act. Thus, any further extension to Dr Dhillon would be highly arbitrary and improper, he added.

“The Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970, only says that the term of office of the Vice-Chancellor shall be four years and he shall be eligible for reappointment. Thus, Dr Dhillon, who was given four years extension/re-appointment with effect from 1.7.2015, cannot be given another re-appointment for another four years, against the provisions of the ICAR Model Act, 2009,” he further said in his appeal.

Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, VC, PAU, when contacted in this regard said he had no comments to give in this regard.