Patna University. Telegraph picture

Patna, Jan. 19: Patna University has served a showcause notice on chemistry professor Dharam Prakash for abusing pro-vice-chancellor S.I. Ahson and other university officials in 2009. Prakash has been asked to reply within 36 hours, failing which departmental proceedings would be initiated against him.

According to the case details, senior university officials including Ahson, proctor Rash Bihari Singh, Patna Science College principal Kashinath and others had gone to the department to evict Prakash. He, however, misbehaved and abused the officials.

Manoj Kumar, registrar of Patna University, told The Telegraph: “The showcause notice served on Prakash, apart from charges of abusing senior university officials, asked him to return the platinum plate of the university which he has kept in his possession for several years.” Students use the metal, priced at Rs 80 lakh, during experiments. The notice also asked Prakash to return more than 162 university books, which has been in his possession since 2008.

Ram Jatan Sinha, another university teacher, said: “This is not for the first time the university has showcaused Prakash. But every time he defies the university orders.” Sinha added: “For the past two years he has not been allowed to take classes. He has been put under no-work-no-pay.”

Meanwhile, Prakash told The Telegraph: “I have written several letters to the university with a plea to make arrangements for returning the university books.” He added the university’s charge that he has the platinum plate is not true as it is at the department’s locker.

Syndicate meet

Several issues that would be raised at the senate meeting on January 22 were discussed at the Patna University syndicate meeting today.

The issues discussed by the members include annual expenditure and earnings for the fiscal 2011-12 and the agenda of senate meetings. The university’s annual report for 2009-10 was also presented at the meeting.

D.P. Kamal, a syndicate member, said the salary of those teachers and non-teaching employees that has not been revised according to the recommendations of the University Grants Commission, should be accounted for before submitting the budget to the human resource development department. He added the varsity should correct all the anomalies in the pay fixation.

Patna University vice-chancellor Shyam Lal and pro-vice-chancellor S.I. Ahson said the pay fixation anomalies would be corrected in a week.

The varsity’s draft budget will be placed before the senate on January 22. The budget estimates are being prepared on the basis of the university’s expected expenditure in the light of the revised pay of university officials, teachers and non-teaching employees. The revised payscale are due from September 2010.