Siliguri College

Siliguri, Aug. 26: The Siliguri College authorities apprehend that they will not be able to disburse the salaries of the teaching and non-teaching staff for August on time if North Bengal University doesn’t extend the tenure of the governing body immediately.

According to college officials, the governing body, which sanctions salaries and funds for different activities at the institution, has been defunct since its tenure ended on July 25.

The college had scheduled polls to the governing body for this week, but the varsity stalled the process on August 23, saying the governor had issued a notification that imposed an embargo on all elections and appointments in colleges and varsities in the state.

“The four-year term of the governing body ended in May. We could not hold elections to the body as the Assembly polls were taking place at that time. After our request, the varsity granted an extension to the body from May 25 to July 25,” Malay Karanjai, the college principal, told journalists here today.

“However, we needed another extension of two months and again sent a request to the varsity on July 18. But till date, we have got no response from them. Since the body is defunct, the two members authorised to disburse the salaries will not be able to do so.”

The 12-member body comprises two government and varsity nominees each, two non-teaching staff members, four teachers, a student representative and a secretary (college principal). The secretary and a varsity or government nominee are authorised to disburse the salaries.

Karanjai said the college was able to disburse the salaries for July, as the governing body had completed the procedure before its tenure ended on July 25.

With no response from the varsity, the college issued a notification to hold elections to the governing body on August 12. Accordingly, August 25 and 27 had been scheduled for election of the non-teaching and teaching representatives respectively.

The principal said the college had sought a second extension as they were aware that the chancellor had issued a notification, imposing an embargo on appointments and elections in colleges and varsities in the state.

“But the varsity did not send us a copy of the circular. However, we managed to procure a copy and found that the restrictions were only on the varsities and nowhere has it been mentioned that election to college governing bodies cannot be held. So, we issued a notification to hold the elections on August 12,” said the principal.

But the acting registrar of the varsity on August 23 asked the college not to hold the polls, citing the governor’s notification. Karanjai said as the varsity had stalled the election process, an extension should be granted to the governing body.

The NBU acting registrar, S.K. Rakhsit, said the university would soon extend the tenure of the governing body. “There is a provision in the varsity rule book to grant extension to governing bodies of colleges for the second time. We are waiting for the vice-chancellor to return on Monday after his tour,” he said.