Gaya: More than 200 non-teaching employees of Magadh University headquarters in Bodhgaya would be shifted to the recently established Pataliputra University. The shifting process, according to a top university official, would be completed by the end of June.

Carved out of Magadh University, the Patna-based Pataliputra University is, for the past three months, running without regular employees to man important sections like accounts, admission, registration, development, examination and building construction. On April 9, 2018, the establishment of the Pataliputra University was notified with retrospective effect from March 18, 2018.

As per the formula worked out for employee shifting, staff members reaching the age of superannuation within one year will be retained by the parent university i.e MU. The number of such employees is said to be about 100. Of the remaining nearly 400 employees, sharing would be done in a 55:45 ratio (55 per cent going to Pataliputra University), said a university official.

Sources said during scrutiny of records, it was found that documents regarding the date of birth of quite a few employees were found missing. Attempts are being made to retrieve such related documents. Officials did not rule out foul play in the matter. The university's budget proforma also carries a date of birth column. The column has been left blank in respect of such employees.

Prior to MU's bifurcation, there were 44 constituent and four government-funded minority colleges. After the creation of Pataliputra University, the parent university (MU) is left with only 19 constituent and one government-funded minority college.

Ever since its inception, Pataliputra University has been running without regular office staff, while MU remains over-staffed as the workload has been reduced to a half of what it was, the staff strength remains unchanged with the result that nearly 200 employees have little or virtually no work to do.

"Staff shortage was not the only problem," said Pataliputra University vice-chancellor Gulab Chand Jaiswal.

No less serious is the facility crunch. Even if MU were to shift 55 per cent of the non-teaching staff to Pataliputra University (the sharing has to take place in a 55:45 ratio between the two universities), there is not even sitting space for so many employees and the employee shifting ought to be done in instalments.

Asked if he would accept all the apportioned employees in one go, the VC said he would abide by the government order on the issue. Jaiswal said unlike his MU counterpart, he has reasons to worry more as the admission season begins and staff shortage was now pinching all the more.