Bengal’s ruling communists have dithered for 16 years over granting autonomy to under-graduate colleges, lest an affirmative decision leads to their losing control over a few elite institutions in Calcutta.

In 2004, the pussyfooting may cost Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government dear. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has slapped it with an ultimatum, calling for an unequivocal stand on granting autonomy to Presidency, St Xavier’s and Asutosh, and a few other colleges in the districts, at a meeting slated for February 26.

“We received a letter from the UGC last week, which informed us that we will be required to say a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ at the February 26 meeting in Delhi on autonomy. We may not be able to continue avoiding a decision on the autonomy issue,” higher education officials said on Sunday.

The Bhattacharjee government on Sunday activated Calcutta University (CU) to examine the issue at a meeting of its Syndicate on Monday. Traditionally, the Syndicate, the university’s highest policy-making body, meets on Tuesday, but an exception has been made this time.

Bhattacharjee’s coalition government is in a fix: on the one hand, it does not want to take a final decision before the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. On the other, pushed into a corner, it has no option but to take a stand with regard to St Xavier’s and Asutosh, both affiliated to CU, and Midnapore College, affiliated to Vidyasagar University.

“Officials are examining the issue,” said Satyasadhan Chakraborty, higher education minister. “I will be in a position to make a more definite comment only after the universities concerned have finalised their position.”

The government will have to take its decision well before February 26 because the Syndicate meeting on Monday will discuss the issue of granting autonomy to St Xavier’s and Asutosh in detail, according to Shyamapada Pal, a member of the CU Syndicate.

According to sources, the UGC letter stressed that it will not accept any “excuses” from the government at Thursday’s meeting.