Surendra Pratap Singh, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Darbhanga, Bihar based Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU) was on Tuesday awarded the best V-C of the state by Governor Phagu Chauhan.
However, the VC of the Patna based Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University (MMHAPU), Prof Mohammad Quddus, has started a row by stating that universities in Bihar have become a grazing ground for loot by the VCs even as he levelled charges of financial irregularities against Singh when he was the acting VC of MMHAPU.
Quddus has written a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar alleging that Singh, who was handling the matter of MMHAPU for some time, has committed financial irregularities during his tenure.
Significantly, Bihar Education minister Vijay Chaudhary did not attend the award ceremony at the Governor house while stating the allegations against Singh levelled by Quddus need to be investigated as Singh has faced similar allegations in the past which had led to inquiry being done against him. None of the officials from the education department attended the event. The Daily Guardian’s SMS and calls to Singh seeking his response on the matter, did not elicit any response.
In his letter to the CM, dated 20 November, Quddus stated that on the last date of his tenure as an acting VC (19 August) Singh, despite being aware that Quddu’s appointment has been notified, entered into an agreement with a Patna based outsourcing agency though two letters, carrying the same docket number, for engaging 45 and 80 housekeeping staff at an inflated rate. The agency later submitted a bill of Rs 18.68 lakh for the payment of 80 workers when in fact only 45 workers were employed by the university.
Quddus has further shared another instance to highlight ‘ulterior motive’ of Singh while asking the CM to investigate his role. According to the letter by Quddus, irregularities were committed while purchasing answer sheets during Singh’s tenure.
“Singh had ordered the Lucknow based supplier and printer, BK Printers for supply of 1.60 lakh answer sheets while the Registrar of the University ordered for the supply of 40000 answer sheets. The answer sheets, which were purchased by the university for Rs 7 per page before Singh took over, were bought at the rate of Rs 16 per answer sheet, an increase which was done without any rhyme or reason”, the letter reads. Singh, sources said, gave the order of the printing of 1.60 lakh copies at the cost of Rs 28 lakh.
Quddus stated that he was being coerced and intimidated by an individual who claims to be connected with the Bihar Governor’s office. In the letter, the VC has pointed out that the person, named Atul Srivastava, who claims himself to be an employee of the Raj Bhawan, has been applying pressure on him to release the payment for 80 housekeeping employees. Quddus has shared the two mobile numbers of the individual and the board exchange landline number of Raj Bhawan from where Srivastava has been calling him to threaten him.
This is not the first time the VCs of Bihar have come under lens. Last week, the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) raided the Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh based private residence of Magadh University vice-chancellor Dr Rajendra Prasad and recovered Rs 90 lakh, foreign currency worth Rs7.5 lakh and jewellery worth Rs15 lakh. Simultaneous raid was conducted at his university office in Bodh Gaya. Prasad also owned movable properties of at least Rs2 crore and immovable properties worth Rs1 crore.
This recent incident is a part of multiple such instances that have come to light in Bihar thereby showing the higher education system in the state in poor light, something that has even been accepted by Bihar ministers. Post the raid on Magadh university VC, Bihar education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary had told the media that such things were earning a band name for Bihar even as he questioned the selection process of the VC.
In the recent past, the VCs of Purnia university and BhimRao Ambedkar university, Muzaffarpur have come under vigilance scanner. Also, the VCs of Patliputra university, Tilka Manjhi university, Bhagalpur, B N Mandal university and Nalanda Open university had to resign before the completion of their term. The VC of Veer Kunwar Singh University had to be sent on forced leave following an inquiry into alleged irregularities. In August 2013, the Supreme Court had quashed all the appointments of nine VCs and two Pro VCs that were done by Devanand Konwar the then Bihar Governor. Konwar was later moved out of the state to Tripura.