Controversy has erupted over the appointment of a permanent director for the National Library.

A BJP-backed teachers’ organisation has lodged a complaint with the Union tourism and culture ministry against the likely candidate for director, which has been filled, for the past seven years, by temporary appointees.

Sudhendu Mandal, a professor of botany at Visva-Bharati, has emerged as the strongest contender for the post after last month’s meeting attended by joint secretary, Union ministry of culture and tourism, J. Kumar, and other officials.

But the candidate is not acceptable to the Jatiyatabadi Adhyapak o Gabeshak Sangha, the teachers’ body allied to the BJP. In a letter to Union minister for tourism and culture Jagmohan, it questioned Mandal’s credentials on the basis of his record of service at Visva-Bharati.

It was alleged that during his tenure as finance officer, he was “forced to go on leave for two months”.

The teachers also held that Mandal was not qualified to be director of National Library, despite being a professor for many years. Officials say that the post requires the incumbent to have had at least 18 years’ experience in administration. “The department of culture usually considers a senior professor of library sciences for the post. And Mandal has no experience in library administration,” said a signatory.

Mandal brushed aside the allegations. “I went on leave for two months during my tenure as I had a family engagement,” he said. “Besides, I have been the director of the publications division of the university for quite some time,” he added.

The National Library has done without a full-time director since the retirement of D.N. Banerjee in 1997. Banerjee had been chosen on the strength of his prior administrative experience, officials said.

But no full-time director succeeded him. Four directors — Harjit Singh, Asit Ranjan Banerjee, Shyamal Kanti Chakraborty and Ramanuj Bhattacharjee, — were appointed on a temporary basis. Till 1980, the library did not have a director at all, as the librarian was considered the administrative head.

The selection committee met in Calcutta on December 19. Fourteen candidates came up for selection. Mandal and another were shortlisted.

The members of the selection committee met again on January 2 and, according to officials, it was at this meeting that Mandal emerged in the lead for the director’s post. Laxman Rao, head of the department of library science, Osmania University, was the other candidate shortlisted.