Shillong, Oct 27: The North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has demanded institution of a parliamentary committee to look into various irregularities in the University due to the appointment of a vice-chancellor allegedly inefficient and autocratic.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Subordinate Legislations, NEHUTA president, X.P. Mao said, “We request your kind attention to the state of affairs of the university and institute a parliamentary committee to look into the irregularities taking place in recent years.”

Stating that NEHU has been established as one of premier higher education institutes in the country by contributing strongly for the development of various facets of the society, he however said, “The story is no longer as promising as it seemed in its formative years due negligence on part of the Central government.”

He said that inaction on the part of the government to allow the university to run by a senior-most professor as the officiating vice chancellor for almost three years, followed by the appointment of an “inefficient and autocratic” vice chancellor has led to steep downfall of the university.

Mao alleged that the vice chancellor, Prof SK Srivastava is still on a celebration mode for his appointment to the post and celebrated his high position by being out of station regularly.

“The files are piling up in his office leading to suffering of employees in particular and the university as a whole. Till date, he has not visited any department of the university to understand the problems and prospects of the departments,” he said.

On vacant statutory administrative positions, he said, “many important statutory posts have been lying vacant prior to his date of joining. The Registrar, the Finance Officer, the Controller of examinations, and the Librarian post are not filled up with malafide intention of running the university as dictator.”

The limitation of adhoc appointees in taking important decisions coupled with the ‘absentee” Vice Chancellor’s slow pace of work has led to the university to almost suspended animation.

“The fact that the university had to return around 50 Crore plan-grant last year due to lack of any initiative from the administration amply, clarify our contention,” he added.

Despite taking charge more than two years back, the Vice Chancellor is yet to take any step for filling up of the vacant positions in various departments. Many departments are running with less than 50% of the faculty strength, he said, adding “can we expect NEHU to be among 500 universities in the world with such leadership in place?

With regards to construction works at Tura Campus, Mao said that in the Tura Campus of the university, a sum of Rs 55, 16,438 was spent to build a playground and an artificial lake by the Teacher In-charge of that campus without prior financial approval.

There was no technical estimate, no approval of the building committee and to top it all, no tender was floated with complete disregard to GFRs, he added.