The decision to assign additional charge of the finance and engineering (civil) departments of Gour Banga University in Malda to the development officer and the dean of science has sparked fresh controversy.

A section of the executive council (EC) members alleged that the move was made without prior intimation and amounts to a violation of the GBU Act and statutes.

The university administration, however, maintained that the decisions were taken under emergent circumstances in accordance with statutory provisions.

On Thursday, Jyotsna Saha, the registrar on additional charge, issued a letter to Subhamoy Chowdhury, the dean of science, informing him that he had been given additional charge as the university’s engineer, as directed by the vice-chancellor.

He was instructed to take over responsibilities from Mohammad Jahir Hossain, the finance officer, who had also been overseeing the engineering department until now.

Hossain is set to retire on February 28. However, he last attended office on Friday, as his final day in service falls on a weekly holiday observed by the university.

In a separate letter issued on Friday, Saha informed Rajib Patitundi, the development officer, that he had been assigned an additional charge as the finance officer. This marks Patitundi’s second additional responsibility, as he is already serving in an additional capacity as deputy registrar of the varsity.

Many senior professors who are members of the EC — the highest decision-making body of the university — expressed dissatisfaction over the appointments, claiming they were made without prior EC approval.

“The VC earlier replaced Biswajit Das, the registrar, with additional charge Biswajit Das with Jyotsna Saha, by invoking emergent powers in what we believe was not an emergency. Three EC members protested and were subsequently served show-cause notices. Now, additional charges are being assigned one after another without EC consent. These steps clearly violate the GBU Statute,” said Sanatan Das, an EC member and a professor in the mathematics department.

He further alleged that although the VC holds a permanent position, he has not convened a single general EC meeting so far, apart from two emergent meetings.

Other EC members and faculty echoed similar concerns.

Responding to the allegations, Asish Bhattacharjee, the vice-chancellor, defended the decisions.

He explained that a general EC meeting requires the presence of the chancellor’s nominees — the chancellor being the Governor — whose names are to be forwarded through the state higher education department.

“I have spoken to officials of the state higher education department and was informed that the matter is under consideration. The additional charges were delegated in the interest of the university’s urgent and essential functioning. It has also been clearly stated that these appointments are valid for six months or until further orders, whichever is earlier, and are subject to ratification by the EC,” said the VC.