Trouble at farm university over registrar's removal

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 6: Normal functioning at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV) was disrupted today too due to demonstrations organised by officers, teachers, non-teaching staff and students. The registrar, Dr Parimal Chandra Sarkar attended his office ignoring the discharge order issued on 4 November by the vice-chancellor Prof Mrinal Kanti Majumder.

 

Members of UBKV Officers' Association, Karmachari Samsad, UBKV Teachers' Council and students restrained from attending their duties and classes today and organised a sit-in in front of the administrative building of the university, claimed the registrar Dr Sarkar who is also the president of the UBKVOA. He said the stir is going on demanding withdrawal of the discharge order. A few classes and examinations were held yesterday but today the normal functioning of the university was disrupted.

 

Dr Sarkar made it clear that he will not go back to Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) from where he came here on lien. "I may go back but that should be with honour, and after completion of my lien period. I am not ready to accept the order that issued to drive me out", he said. Dr Sarkar alleged that the VC's term will end in January and so he is trying to cover up his all misdeeds and corruption. "He fears that if I stay here after his term I may disclose the offences he committed during his regime and so he is trying to drive me out", the aggrieved registrar said.   

 

Refuting the allegation that his qualification is not adequate for the post of registrar Dr Sarkar said, "The VC had appointed me and I had to face an interview board where four vice-chancellors were present. They raised no question over my one-year MSc degree of Dhaka University during interview and appointment. With this degree I worked in several organisations like BCKV, Indian Statistical Institute and Reserve Bank of India."  "If the degree was considered valid during my thirty-one years of service life why all on a sudden it became invalid", he questioned. Course and syllabus may change but a degree once awarded never is considered invalid, he argued.

 

Noteworthy, the members of University Teachers' Council's UBKV unit preferred to abstain from the agitation that started from yesterday. UTC's UBKV unit secretary Dr Ashok Chaudhury believes the removal of the registrar was purely an administrative measure. Dr Sarkar came here on lien and he will have to go back. There should be no question about covering up of any corruption, he opined. The VC, Prof Majumder was not available today too to make any comment over the controversy that ripened up following the dismissal order issued to the registrar.

 

UBKV sources claimed that in the appointment order it was mentioned that "during the period of provision his (registrar's) service may be terminated on one month notice from either side or by payment of salary for one month in lieu of notice. After confirmation in the post his service may be terminated on three months notice or three months pay in lieu of notice from either side." After consulting legal experts the VC had issued the removal order to the registrar without showing any reason, UBKV sources said.

 

Meanwhile, a few teachers associated with UTC said an inquiry was initiated under chairmanship of the registrar over an allegation of irregularity in admitting the son of a Dean of this university. The student actually ranked 61 in the merit list and admission process was done upto rank no. 70. In this context there was no irregularity and the allegation of punishing the registrar over the inquiry is also baseless, they said.

 

In his order (No. VC/UBKV/1395) the VC had asked the registrar to "handover the charge of the office of the Registrar along with all official papers, files, documents as are lying with him to Prof Arun Kumar Saha, Head, department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry and Dean, faculty of Technology immediately" but Dr Sarkar is yet to hand over the charge. In another order (No. VC/UBKV/1396) the VC said that 'having noted the non-compliance on the part of Dr PC Sarkar to hand over the charge of the office of the registrar in terms the order no. VC/UBKV/1395, Prof Arun Kumar Saha is hereby instructed to assume the charge of the office of the registrar forthwith and discharge his duty as registrar (acting) till further order'. The matter of non-compliance of the previous order by Dr PC Sarkar will be dealt separately as per rules, the VC's second order says. []