RAICHUR: Article 371 (J) Anushtana Kavalu Samithi, a forum for overseeing the implementation of Article 371 (J) of the Constitution, has strongly criticised the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur (UAS-R) for not filling up vacant posts, despite having a clear approval from the government.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Samiti’s leaders V.A. Malipatil and Raghavendra Kushtagi alleged that University’s Vice-Chancellor P.M. Salimath was reluctant to make appointments.
“Of the total 1,494 sanctioned posts for the University, 862 are lying vacant. The State government had, in October last year, given approval to fill all the vacant posts — 226 A group, 16 B group, 363 C group and 257 D group posts.
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“Even 10 months after the approval, the recruitment process was not initiated in the University,” Mr. Malipatil said. He demanded that the Vice-Chancellor start the recruitment process ensuring reservations under Article 371 (J) of the Constitution that gave special status to Hyderabad Karnataka (HK) region.
Vested interests
Mr. Kushtagi charged that Vice-Chancellor Mr. Salimath had vested interests in indefinitely postponing the recruitments. “Mr. Salimath wants to appoint the non-HK candidates recommended by BJP leader Jagadish Shettar and Agricultural Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. In fact, these are the two leaders who backed Salimath’s candidature for the Vice-Chancellor post, even though there were many better candidates for the post. We will not allow the University to deprive H-K candidates of their legitimate reservation rights,” Mr. Kushtagi said.
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Dharwad domination
Mr. Kushtagi observed that the UAS-R was completely being dominated and dictated by the top brass of University of Agricultural Sciences – Dharwad (UAS-D).
“Even six years after being carved out of UAS-D to become an independent university, the UAS-R continues to be dominated and dictated by UAS-D. Y.B. Patil, Director of Education at UAS-D, with active support from the Raj Bhavan, is controlling the UAS-R. He has played an instrumental role in delaying the recruitments in UAS-R,” Mr. Kushtagi said.
Mr. Kushtagi said that he would raise the issue in the meeting that the government had called in Bengaluru on Friday to discuss the impediments in implementing Article 371 (J) of the Constitution.
He set a 15-day deadline for the University to start the recruitment process. “If the process is not started within 15 days, we will mobilise people of the region against Mr. Salimath and force him to leave the University,” he said.