DHE probe finds irregularities; report submitted to Lokayukta
An inquiry conducted by the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE), Haryana, has found serious irregularities in different matters pertaining to the tenure of a former Vice-Chancellor and a former Registrar at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.
The DHE had constituted a three-member inquiry committee headed by Deepak Kumar, Joint Director, (Administration), on directions of the Lokayukta, Haryana. The report has been submitted to the Lokayukta.
The action was taken on a complaint made by Dr Sandeep Kumar Gupta against former MDU Vice-Chancellor BK Punia and former Registrar Jitender K Bhardwaj.
The inquiry report maintained that no public advertisement was issued, no selection committee constituted and no interview held for the appointment of a Financial Adviser at the university.
“In this case, only a CV was submitted to the VC, MDU, and the applicant was engaged on a contractual basis,” states the report, adding that the inquiry committee observed many lacunas in the process adopted for the said appointment.
As per the report, the university has submitted that the honorarium of the Financial Adviser was paid out of the Budget head of ‘unforeseen expenses’, which is not appropriate.
“The appointment on the post of Technical Adviser to the VC (which was cited as a precedence) was also in contravention of university rules/regulations. He was appointed on a non-existing post, which is an irregularity,” the report maintains.
Regarding the conversion of the post of Associate Professor at the Department Of Physics, the committee observed that the post was converted in contravention of statutory provisions.
“It is essential for the universities to obtain administrative approval from the state government and Finance Department. But the university converted the post without the approval, which is a violation of the state government’s rules/regulation on part of the university,” the committee stated.
The inquiry also observed that financial benefits were extended to five faculty members of the university, whereas, they were not eligible for these benefits. The complainant had said the said decisions of the university authorities had caused huge losses to the public exchequer.
No truth in charges, say respondents
In a joint statement submitted before the DHE Committee, former MDU Vice-Chancellor BK Punia and former Registrar Jitender K Bhardwaj stated that the said decisions had been approved by the MDU executive council, which was the supreme and competent body of the university. They had refuted the charges as “false, misguiding and formulated by twisting the facts” to malign their image
