Bhubaneswar, Feb. 4: The relation between Utkal University vice-chancellor and its registrar has turned murkier following a show-cause notice issued by the former to the latter.

Vice-chancellor P.K. Sahoo asked registrar Banani Mohanty to explain for her unauthorised absence from the institution on two specific dates.

In his notice, Sahoo wanted to know why she was not present at the varsity on January 28 and January 31.

He also asked her to explain her regular absence from the varsity on “various pretexts”.

Registrar Mohanty, however, denied knowledge of any such letter.

“I haven’t received any such letter yet. Also it is not true that I wasn’t present on the said dates. As the varsity has to deal with various government offices, I am required to visit officials and get the work done. It is therefore obvious that I may not be present in my office at times,” she said.

On the other hand, vice-chancellor Sahoo said that the absence of the registrar was hampering the day-to-day official work of the varsity, especially development works.

The spat between the two functionaries had been controlled after chancellor S.C. Jamir’s intervened and summoned the duo last year and directed them not to get involved in such tussle.

However, the rift surfaced once again following the postgraduate council chairman J.K. Panda’s appointment.

The Utkal University Teachers’ Association had questioned the appointment and alleged that the move was made by bypassing seniority of seven other faculty members.

Panda alleged that the registrar was responsible for the row over his appointment.

The spat between the two functionaries had begun ever since the registrar took charge in April last year.

Sources said that the registrar questioned the anomalies in the varsity starting from recruitment to financial matters. The interference had not been taken well by the vice-chancellor and others senior staff in the varsity.

Sahoo said that Mohanty had been disregarding his orders and even that of the syndicate and if this continued, serious action would be taken against her.

The tussle has also affected the recruitment of faculty members issued by the government in June last year.

The trouble started with the clash of views regarding the transfer of Class-III and Class-IV employees, fee hike and recruitment of ex-servicemen as security persons and fee hike.