Gaya: The Patliputra University registrar has served dismissal notice to its employees deputed at the Magadh University headquarters, giving them the option to return to their parent institutions or face dismissal.

The deadline set for such employees to report back is June 30.

"Else, they will be deemed to have been removed from service," reads PU registrar Col. Kamesh Kumar's letter no. 196/PPU dated June 22.

According to the official records, PU employees currently serving MU include its registrar Shailesh Kumar, the controller of examinations Bimal Prasad Singh, inspector of colleges (arts) Anjum Ashrafi and Ramayan Prasad, the director of the all important Distance Education Directorate of the university.

The letter, originally addressed to the MU registrar, says that such employees have to be relieved from Magadh University latest by June 30, before the formal commencement of the 2018-19 academic session. "This may be treated as most urgent," reads the last line of the letter.

The sudden move has come as a bolt from the blue, as almost all the senior positions in MU are at present manned by employees drafted from such colleges of pre-bifurcation MU that now form part of the Patliputra University. Several such officials have been on the payroll of AN College, Patna, which is now a part of PU.

As per earlier understanding, for the sake of continuity and smooth transition, such employees were to be allowed to continue in MU service till March, 2019 i.e. one year after the establishment of Patliputra University, which has been carved out of MU.

Twenty-five constituent and three government-funded minority colleges falling in the administrative jurisdiction of Patna and Nalanda districts have been tagged with Patliputra University, while MU retains 19 constituent and one government-funded minority colleges. MU has retained colleges located in the five districts of the Magadh division.

Justifying the decision to recall teachers and non-teachers deputed in MU offices, Patliputra University vice-chancellor Gulab Chand Jaiswal said he or any other university official had not made any commitment to allow teachers holding important positions in the MU administration for a year.

On the point of seriousness of the dismissal threat, Jaiswal said the registrar's letter was self-explanatory. "A final call in the matter has to be taken by the university syndicate," said the PU VC.