NEHUTA seeks PM intervention into violation of university Act

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 22, 2019

SHILLONG: The North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the failure of the NEHU vice chancellor to convene meetings of the University Court for the past few years.

In a letter to Modi, president of the association Prof XP Mao alleged that the constitutionally mandatory meetings of the University Court have not been convened by the incumbent vice chancellor, Prof SK Srivastava during 2015-2018.

“Not convening the Court amount to an infraction in the very functioning of the University in matters of budget, finance, academic quality and such other statutory matters that comprise the essential functions of the university,” Prof Mao said.

He also asserted that not convening the Court amounts to undermining the office of the Visitor, who is the President of India.

According to him, as per section 19 (1) (a) of the North Eastern Hill University Act, 1989, the Court reviews the functioning of the university and suggest for its improvement and as per 19 (1) (b), the Court is supposed to consider and pass resolutions on the Annual Accounts and the Audit Report on such Accounts.

He said the Annual Accounts and audit report cannot be accepted due to failure to convene the meetings of the Court adding without accepting these, they cannot be placed before the Parliament, as these reports are to be gazetted in due process.

The president further stated what is even more worrying is that the Annual Accounts, budget and balance sheet of the university are to be placed mandatorily before the Court meetings, which is not done in these years.

“Without supervision and approval of the Court, the university cannot spend public funds and even if it spent the funds, accounts and audit reports could not have been accepted without the Court’s approval,” he said.

Prof Mao also alleged that there are reports of violation of financial rules in the process of tender and issuance of work order by the university during the period adding “we have good reasons to doubt whether the Court’s meetings were not convened with some motive…”

Seeking his intervention on the matter, the NEHUTA urged the Prime Minister to fix responsibility of violation of the Act, statute and ordinance of the University to the level of violation of mandatory parliamentary oversight. “We pray for your kind intervention and necessary action as you deem fit and proper,” Prof Mao said in the letter.