AAU appointed mentor of all-women's varsity

Vice-chancellor K.M. Bujarbaruah speaks at the news conference in Jorhat on Thursday. Picture by UB Photos

Jorhat, Nov. 14: The Assam Agricultural University, facing accusations of financial irregularities, will mentor an all-women varsity to be set up here.

AAU vice-chancellor K.M. Bujarbaruah has been appointed mentor of the university.

Addressing a news conference at the vice-chancellor’s conference hall here today, Bujarbaruah said the state government had given back a plot of land, which had original belonged to the university, but had been acquired by the state to set up a grain-storage facility.

“The women’s university will go on steam from July next year and till a vice-chancellor is appointed, I have been asked to look after the university as a mentor. The course of study, University Act and other formalities are being taken care of so that a career-oriented course of study can be formulated,” he said.

Bujarbaruah, who will complete a five-year tenure as vice-chancellor next June, refuted allegations of financial irregularities that had appeared in a section of the media, saying that only half the truth had been projected.

Teachers, staff and students rallied behind the vice-chancellor today. They will take out a procession on the campus tomorrow against the four scientists who had degraded the university through their allegations.

“We have submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor, demanding action against the four. Under this vice-chancellor, the university has surged ahead in every field, be it teaching, academics or research, and it is demoralising to read of such reports in the media,” Seuji Bora, a professor, said.

On why disciplinary action had not been initiated against the scientists who had “maligned the image of the university”, Bujarbaruah said the four had been identified and action would be taken according to government procedure.

“Only half the truth has been let out and I can challenge anyone to prove that irregularities had been committed. Each construction was carried out through tenders and depositions of earnest money. Any engineer can come and test the buildings. We will see if he can say that any of the work done during my tenure is sub-standard or could be done in less than the sanctioned amount,” Bujarbaruah said.

The vice-chancellor, who named the four who had resorted to RTI, said they were known troublemakers and should have been dealt with earlier.

Bujarbaruah said when he had taken over as the vice-chancellor, the university had a Rs 23-crore deficit.

Within four years, all the five colleges have been revamped, the one at Lakhimpur built from scratch and major construction had taken place at the one at Biswanath.

All the research centres, which had been falling apart, now have adequate equipment and furniture and at more than 20 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) set up.

“This year, 26 students have qualified for NET where very few had qualified earlier, four students were in the doctorate programme and now there are 200, there are no seats for MSc left, where earlier the classrooms were empty,” he said.

A new agriculture college had been set up at Dhubri, a horticulture college was coming up in Nalbari and at Titabar, a foundation stone for a sericulture college will be laid tomorrow.

The university has been ranked fifth in the country and was shortlisted for the Sardar Patel award.