The Bharathidasan University Professors Association (BUPA) has urged the Centre and the State governments to probe the alleged mismanagement of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) funds by some professors and not to include those linked with it in the Vice-Chancellor Officiating Committee, which is to be nominated on Saturday.
In a memorandum submitted to Vice-Chancellor M. Selvam, with copies marked to the Governor, the Chief Minister, the Union Ministry of Higher Education, and the Department of Higher Education, Chennai, the association alleged that the funds allocated to the university under the RUSA were mismanaged by its director and its coordinators.
It has been claimed that buildings and infrastructure such as the tennis court complex, basketball and volleyball court and so on were established utilising the RUSA funds. They were actually established prior to 2017. It was claimed that some research equipment and computers, which were already in use in the university for several years, were procured using RUSA funds, the association alleged.
The memorandum, signed by R. Sakthivel and K. Vetrivel, president and secretary of the association, said that “mismanagement” of RUSA funds had been brought to the notice of the Vice-Chancellor and other authorities. But action had not been taken so far. Instead, officials linked to the “misappropriation” were given additional responsibilities, which amounted to shielding them, claimed the memorandum.
Two professors, including one who was facing the allegation, had been made Syndicate Members to thwart the investigation. They were appointed without following the seniority criteria. Attempts were on to appoint them as members of the Vice Chancellor Officiating Committee. If they were appointed to the Committee, they might destroy evidence, the association contended.
Meanwhile, the varsity Syndicate is scheduled to meet on Saturday and is expected to nominate members of the V-C Officiating Committee as the tenure of the incumbent M. Selvam ends on Sunday. Principal Secretary of Higher Education A. Karthick is likely to attend the meeting. The Committee will take care of the day-to-day affairs of the university until the appointment of a new V-C.
