The All India Students Federation (AISF) has lodged a complaint with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Ernakulam unit, demanding a probe into the alleged irregularities in construction works at the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, over the past four years.
The Ernakulam district wing of the federation sought an investigation into the works initiated during the term of Prof. Dharmaraj Adat, then Vice Chancellor, alleging corruption and use of poor materials in works done at the language block. A portion of the ceiling at the block had collapsed recently, exposing serious lapses on the part of the varsity authorities and the engineering wing, according to AISF district secretary A.A. Sahad.
In the complaint, federation representatives pointed out that the lifts installed at the academic block-I, library and language block had developed technical snags immediately after their commissioning. For the first five days after commissioning, no one could use the lift owing to the poor use of components. There were instances where teachers, especially those facing health issues, had got stuck in the elevator, the complaint said.
It said most works were done when Prof. Adat was the Vice Chancellor. The poor and faulty construction of the language block came to light immediately after its inauguration in June 2019, as classrooms on the third floor used to get waterlogged during heavy rain. Portions of the ceiling had collapsed in strong wind and rain, exposing serious irregularities in the work, according to the petitioners.
Denying the allegations, Prof. Adat recalled that he was not the Vice Chancellor during the construction of the language block. “All due processes as per rules were complied with, including floating of tenders and certification by the university engineering wing, when construction works were done during my tenure,” he said.
