West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Monday evening, December 4, on the appointment of permanent vice-chancellors in the state's universities. The CM added that the meeting was fruitful, reported PTI.

The chief minister, however, did not reply to queries about whether there was any discussion on the Supreme Court's order to form a search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors.

"The meeting went well. Discussions are fruitful," Banerjee said after coming out of the meeting, which lasted for nearly an hour in Raj Bhavan.

The state government and the governor have been in a dispute over various issues including the appointment of vice-chancellors in state-run universities.

The higher education department has claimed the orders appointing VCs were illegal as the governor had not consulted the department before making the appointments.

Banerjee, however, said, "There should be no criticism, conflict. Many say that there is a difference between the state and the governor. This is not right." 

On a Supreme Court ruling on the issue, she said the verdict has two phases. "One is to fix the issue of the interim vice-chancellor and the other one is to set up a committee of five members for the appointment of the vice-chancellors. We have no differences," the chief minister said.

The state government filed a case in the Supreme Court which ordered a meeting of lawyers to prepare the final draft of the list of names proposed for the appointment of VCs in several universities.