Tech varsity admn under fire for passing ‘controversial’ agenda

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, August 8

The Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University for Science and Technology (DCRUST), which has been in the limelight for nearly a month now due to the strike of the teaching and non-teaching employees and research scholars, has once again come under scanner after the university administration published the minutes of an executive council (EC) meeting, held on July 4 under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor (VC), on its website yesterday.

The agenda that was passed states that the VC is free to take the furniture and other electronic goods that are allotted to him by the university at a depreciated cost at the time of relinquishing his charge.

The protesting employees have made their anger regarding the decision known and demanded that the decision be rolled back, as they said, it was ‘unconstitutional’. The protesters also demanded the expulsion of the members of the EC, who had passed this agenda against the rules of the state government.

DCRUTA President Ajay Kumar said it was the first time in the history of a state university that the VC, in the first meeting of the EC, had prioritised his personnel interests over everything else and the Registrar had supported him.

The government has allotted the VC a big house with all expenses covered and an additional Rs 5 lakh could be spent on accommodation and to maintain camp office during tenure.

“VC Prakash Singh has made preparations to take away mobile phones, all electronic goods, wooden and steel furniture etc that were allotted to him by the university when his tenure ends. There is no such rule in any state university and even in the Haryana Government that would allow him to do so,” Kumar said.

DCRUTA president further said the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who had appointed Prakash, had donated his personal belongings at the end of his tenure as the CM.

Kumar alleged that Registrar Ajay Monga had supported the VC because he had made a provision for the Registrar to take electronic goods with him at the end of his tenure, too.

The minutes of the meeting were made public after a month of the meeting, that too after the DCRUTA pressured the university administration, he said.

The DCRUTA president demanded the VC, Registrar and the members of the EC be removed immediately. He also demanded strict action against the members of the EC in the interest of the university and the Haryana Government.

Goes against rules

VC Prakash Singh has made preparations to take away mobile phones, all electronic goods, wooden and steel furniture etc that were allotted to him by the university when his tenure ends. There is no such rule in any state university and even in the Haryana Government that would allow him to do so. —Ajay Kumar, DCRUTA President