T.N. Prathapan, the Congress MP of Kerala’s Thrissur and a member of the education ministry’s parliamentary standing committee, has written to Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, asking for a fact-finding committee to probe alleged financial and administrative irregularities of Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty.
The letter on June 28 stated 12 allegations, ranging from fraudulent use of Santiniketan Trust funds to the VC’s many suspension orders.
The MP on Wednesday said allegations from Visva-Bharati teachers and students prompted him to write the letter. “I’ve been receiving allegations from teachers and students of Visva-Bharati on the VC’s malpractices and undemocratic actions. The Sangh Parivar (VC Chakrabarty is deemed close to the saffron camp) does the same in all premier institutions....It should be addressed and resisted.”
He added Visva-Bharati has a legacy, and one who doesn’t respect it shouldn’t be the VC. “Numerous teachers and students were suspended or faced other action for...dissent. It is not acceptable,” he said.
In his letter, the Thrissur MP sought Chakrabarty be sent on leave till the probe, by a panel with a retired high court judge on it, ends.
Varsity public relations officer Anirban Sircar did not reply to calls or texts from this paper on the MP’s allegations.
The MP’s letter also accused Chakrabarty of not appointing persons in key posts (registrar, finance officer and five directors) during his tenure of two-and-a-half years, and of misbehaving with faculty members and enforcing pay cuts without their consent.
Prathapan attached documents to support his allegations.
The Kerala MP’s letter prompted some Visva-Bharati teachers to ask MPs from Bengal and other states to write similar letters to the Centre too.
Protest
SFI activists on Wednesday demonstrated in front of Visva-Bharati’s central office against “hike” in exam and mark sheet fees for research scholars amid the pandemic. They said last year only Rs 50 was charged for mark sheet, but this year students are being charged Rs 1,400 overall. Varsity sources denied any hike and said last year exam fees had been waived.
