Massive irregularities in the management of Ravenshaw University (RU) in the past couple of years have come to light during the probe conducted recently on the direction of the Governor of Odisha.
The Higher Education Department's single member team comprising Additional Secretary Prasant Kumar Das who conducted a probe on August 21 will submit his report to the department's Principal Secretary within a week. Briefing media persons, Das said vast irregularities have been detected in various fields including management, the appointment of faculties, procurement of electronic equipment and other financial matters. While computers were purchased without a tender in 2014-2015, irregularities in the appointment of lecturers in 2015-16 were also detected during the probe.
"While lecturers appointed on contractual basis have been directly promoted to Readers in the varsity, guest faculties were appointed without any prior advertisement in 2017-2018," Das said. Beside the probe also found some corrupt practice in availing Traveling Allowance, Das told adding that the RU vice-Chancellor (VC) has sanctioned Rs 40,000 every month towards same. Das, who declined to reveal more about the findings in the probe as the same are very confidential however told that he would mention details of the findings in his report to be submitted to department's Principal Secretary.
Notably, the probe came in the wake of an order passed by Governor-cum-Chancellor Ganeshi Lal to probe into the alleged irregularities in the management of the varsity. On July 23, RTI activist Dr Nrusingha Charan Sarangi in a letter to the office of Governor-cum-Chancellor alleging about irregularities and illegal appointments and prayed for a direction to probe into the alleged matter following which Lal had asked the Higher Education Department to initiate a probe and submit a report within 60 days. Meanwhile, RU Registrar Maheswar Agasti said that the varsity authorities have provided all relevant registers and document as required during the probe. "We will take the step as per the direction of the government," he said.
