MDU working under lens, probe sought

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 13

Multifarious irregularities, including the violation of provisions of the Maharshi Dayanand Univerity (MDU) Act, statutes and ordinances, have been alleged in the functioning of the university system.

Dr Anil Pannikker, a Hisar-based social activist, has sent a detailed communiqué in this regard to the Governor-cum-MDU Chancellor, Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, demanding a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities.

The communiqué points out that as per the MDU Act and statutes, the members of the selection committee for the appointment of university teachers should include experts in the subject/field concerned who have to be nominated by the Vice-Chancellor from a panel of names sent by the Departmental Committee and approved by the university Executive Council.

“This provision of the Statute 22 (A) of the MDU Calendar (Vol.1) was not followed during the tenure of the present Vice-Chancellor, Prof BK Punia. No panels of experts for the selection committee were invited from the Departmental Committee. The Vice-Chancellor took the liberty of appointing the subject experts,” the complaint states.

It maintains that as per the Ordinance of Departmental Committees and Duties and Functions of Heads of Departments/ Directors, a list of subject experts is to be prepared by the Departmental Committee of the department concerned and not by the Vice-Chancellor.

More than 30 assistant professors and an associate professor have been appointed at the university during the tenure of the present Vice-Chancellor.

The complaint further states that the university gave undue benefits to building contractors, whose scope of work was extended without inviting fresh tenders.

It also raises questions over the alleged extra expenditure made during the organisation of the National Youth Festival on the university campus, overpayment made in purchase of computers and undue favour extended to a security agency.

Harassment of certain teachers, misuse of emergency powers in academic matters, irregularities in appointments at University Campus School, wrongful regularisation of certain guest faculty members and unjustified appointment of financial adviser have also been alleged.

Charges baseless, says Vice-Chancellor

• Prof BK Punia, Vice-Chancellor, MDU, has maintained that the university executive council had authorised him to include the names of subject experts for selection panels. On being asked whether the executive council could circumvent the provisions of the university Act/statutes/ordinance, he said there was no violation of any kind.
• Dr Punia stated that the scope of work of the building contractors had been extended by committees and not by him. He said the National Youth Festival was organised by the state government and around Rs 18 crore had been spent, while the budget was of Rs 23 crore. He said the other charges were also false and baseless.