Panel to probe charges against vet varsity VC

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 2

Following a complaint in an affidavit filed by a Hisar-based veterinary professor, the Punjab government has formed a committee to conduct an inquiry into allegations of “irregularities” against the Vice Chancellor of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana.

Associate Professor at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Dr Sandeep Kumar Gupta alleged irregularities in the admission process and the working of GADVASU, Ludhiana, during the tenure of Vice Chancellor AS Nanda.

In the affidavit, Dr Gupta stated that he obtained information under the RTI Act from Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, that the Lokayukta police were carrying out an investigation against Dr Amarjit Singh Nanda, former Vice Chancellor, NDVSU, Jabalpur, and current Vice Chancellor, GADVASU, Ludhiana.

Gupta raised a question whether Dr Nanda has ever intimated the Punjab Governor-cum-Chancellor, GADVASU, about the case registered against him and inquiry being held. He said, “If he has not intimated, why he did not feel the need to do so? If he has intimated, can a person with a case lodged against him in the Lokayukta be vested with powers to administer a university?”

In the affidavit, Gupta also alleged that a student from the Khalsa College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Amritsar, was migrated to GADVASU in 2017 in the second year of BVSc and AH programme against the rules. He alleged that the fee structure at the private college was much higher than at the Ludhiana college. If a student was to be migrated to Ludhiana, he was required to be asked to pay the fee payable at the private college, but it was not done and a loss of millions of rupees was done by favouring such persons.

He alleged that a student from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agicutural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, was migrated in 2018 to the Ludhiana veterinary college by violating the rules. The student was the son of the Dean of the College of Dairy Sciences of the university in Ludhiana, he alleged.

Minister for Animal Husbandry, Punjab, Balbir Singh Sidhu said they had earlier received a complaint in this regard. “The complainant then filed an affidavit against irregularities in the university. A committee has been formed to conduct an inquiry on the instructions of the Chief Minister,” he said.

On the other hand, AS Nanda, Vice Chancellor, GADVASU, denied all the allegations. He said the university was working in a very logical and good manner. There was no irregularity in the admission process.