An agitated senate member at the meeting on Sunday. Picture by Suman

Gaya, Feb. 26: Magadh University acting vice-chancellor (VC) Arun Kumar today told the senate of the varsity that someone running a private college offered him Rs 70 lakh to retain the affiliation of the institution.

The senate met at Radha Krishnan Conference Hall of the director of distance education at Magadh University, Bodhgaya headquarters, today. The acting VC said he had lodged an FIR in this connection but did not name the person before the senate.

Arun said a committee headed by the pro-VC has been constituted to conduct an inquiry into the private college having affiliation or seeking affiliation from Magadh University.

“However, the university can’t interfere much in the internal affairs of affiliation of the private colleges,” the acting VC added.

Arun, who is also the VC of Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University, Madhepura, said the pending elections of the university senate, syndicate and the students’ association will be held soon.

The senate today passed a deficit budget of Rs 393,27,78,598 for the financial year 2012-13 amid din created on several occasions by the senators.

In the budget, an expenditure of Rs 428,41,26,864 has been mentioned against the income of only Rs 35,13,48,266.

Bihar higher education director Sitaram Singh blamed the shortfall on the universities for the delay in getting the budget approved by the finance committee, syndicate and the senate.