Governor, Punjab Govt lock horns again, this time over officiating VC of Bathinda PTU

Rajmeet Singh

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Chandigarh, November 22

Governor and Chancellor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh PTU, Bathinda, Banwarilal Purohit has asked the government to appoint the seniormost Dean as the officiating Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The Governor has turned down the recommendation of the government to appoint the Secretary, Technical Education, as the officiating VC. The Governor’s instructions are for withdrawal of the precedence to appoint the Secretary, Technical Education, as the officiating VC till the appointment of a regular VC.

Took similar stand earlier too

• Earlier, the Governor had taken a similar stand in case of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala, as he had sought to know as to why the seniormost Dean (Faculty) could not be given the officiating charge of the VC
• Before the appointment of Prof Susheel Mittal as the VC of the PTU, Kapurthala, the Governor had turned down the recommendation of the government to appoint the Secretary, Technical Education, as the officiating VC

The outgoing VC, Prof Buta Singh, whose tenure ended on November 1, has not been given extension. Prof Singh had taken over charge on November 2, 2020.

Confirming the development, sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the matter had been forwarded to the Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training for the necessary action.

However, it could not be confirmed whether the Governor’s order implies appointing seniormost professor working as Dean as the officiating the VC.

An official, privy to the development, said there was no yardstick of the seniormost Dean but there could be a seniormost professor looking after the work of Dean.

Earlier, the Governor had taken a similar stand in case of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU), Kapurthala, as he had sought to know as to why the seniormost Dean (Faculty) could not be given the officiating charge of the VC. Before the appointment of Prof Susheel Mittal as the VC of the PTU, Kapurthala, the Governor had turned down the recommendation of the state government to appoint the Secretary, Technical Education, as the officiating VC.

Last month, employees of Maharaja Ranjit Singh PTU, Bathinda, had written to the Governor and Chancellor of the university seeking his intervention over the state of affairs in the university.

Recently, the employees of the university, in a jointly signed letter to the Governor, had drawn his attention towards the pressing issues that have been affecting the university and its employees over the past few years.

Since 2020, the university’s financial condition has been steadily deteriorating due to unfavourable policies and unnecessary expenditures undertaken by the administration, the employees had maintained.