BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Tuesday ordered a probe into the alleged irregularities in academic audit processes of engineering colleges carried out by the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Rourkela, and sought a factual report from the university authorities for necessary action.

The direction was issued by the Skill Development and Technical Education (SDTE) department on the basis of the grievance submitted by representatives of 47 engineering colleges to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently.

In its letter to the chief minister, the association of the 47 engineering colleges pointed out that though a transparent, rigorous and accountable audit system is essential for maintaining and improving educational standards, the proposal to involve faculty members from private engineering colleges as academic auditors is fundamentally flawed, deeply compromised and prone to corruption.

It claimed that there are serious and credible concerns that the proposed system is not a genuine academic reform, but is being misused for collecting money from the colleges.

“Money is being demanded from the colleges and auditors are being assigned based on the amount paid.These demands are being routed through multiple intermediaries. If this audit system is implemented, the money university authorities will collect is beyond imagination,” the association alleged.

Accordingly, it demanded that the current model of audit be immediately stopped and a neutral audit system introduced engaging professors from the government institutions for conduct of the audit of the colleges.The association also demanded a probe into the allegations of monetary demands from the colleges and to ensure that the academic audit is used as a tool for quality enhancement.

Based on the grievance, the SDTE department, in its directive to the BPUT registrar directed to examine the matter related to engagement of private faculties for audit and furnish a factual report for necessary action at their end.