Guwahati, Oct. 2: Teachers of Gauhati University today announced that they would intensify their agitation against the alleged gross financial mismanagement in the region’s oldest university.

The announcement came after the Gauhati University’s lack of response to the teachers’ demand even after members of the GU Teachers’ Association staged a demonstration on September 12, seeking the immediate intervention of vice-chancellor Okhil Kumar Medhi to streamline its financial condition.

J.C. Kalita, the general secretary of the association, said there was apprehension among the teachers about the misappropriation of the one-time grant of Rs 25 crore released by the state government in 2007.

He said at a time when the CBI was probing a multicrore-rupee scam that took place in the university six years ago, the association would not tolerate another scandal.

“Teachers have no information about the annual financial audit in the university. The image of Gauhati University will be totally tarnished if there are more financial scams. So the GUTA has demanded immediate publication of a white paper on the current financial status of the university. The authorities must inform the university family as to how it is utilising public money,” Kalita said.

According to Kalita, the members of the association would stage a demonstration against financial mismanagement in front of the venue of the next meeting of the executive council of the university, scheduled to be held after the Puja holidays on October 5.

He said being the highest decision-making body of the university, the executive council must do something urgently to streamline the university’s financial condition.

“If the executive council does not respond positively we will announce the next phase of agitation,” he added.

The association has also made it clear that it would not allow the university administration under any circumstance to take a loan from the State Bank of India for the university’s development.

“A state-run university like Gauhati University should look for other sources of funding instead of a bank loan,” Kalita said.

The university registrar Uttam Das said the authorities are aware of the demands made by GUTA and were trying to meet them as far as possible.

He said soon after the university opens after the Puja vacation, the authorities would work on publishing a white paper on the financial status of the university. “The bank loan is being sought for development activities, including hostel renovation,” he said.