Bhubaneswar, Feb. 6: Utkal University will appoint an officer on special duty (OSD) to facilitate the much-delayed recruitment of lecturers, readers and professors.

This was decided at the university syndicate meeting held today.

Members of the syndicate decided that the vice-chancellor would be authorised to appoint an OSD, who will facilitate recruitment of teachers and obtain the approval of the chancellor at the earliest.

The decision was taken following complaints from all quarters regarding the inordinate delay in the recruitment of 51 teaching positions and 36 non-teaching staff in the varsity. The government had given recruitment clearance in April last.

It is alleged that at least five applications that had reached the university for the posts of lecturers, readers and professors had gone missing leading to the delay in appointments, it was revealed during the meeting.

Of the total 910 applications received, five were reported lost. At least 458 applications have reached by email, said an official.

“Registrar of the varsity Banani Mohanty had raised objections on missing applications. There were mistakes in the advertisements which made the authorities issue subsequent corrigendum that delayed the process,” a member of the syndicate said.

“Important details such as NET qualification, appraisal performance index score card and others which are mandatory under the UGC recruitment rules were missing and the registrar has been raising objections to it. This led to objections from the official causing the delay,” the member said. Vice-chancellor P.K. Sahoo assured the students that things appointments would be finalised by March 6.