The Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) at West Bengal's Visva-Bharati University (VBU) have collectively drafted a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today, October 31, urgently asking for his intervention in protecting their interests and rights. The letter has alleged that Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty is forcing them to work for his personal interests.
The letter mentions that 405 MTS personnel were appointed this month, and the university published a press release informing of the same on October 12, which proves that they were appointed on the basis of their qualifications only. "However, since joining Visva-Bharati, the Vice-Chancellor has created pressure on us to compulsorily attend various programmes outside our regular duties. This pressure seems as though he has done us a favour by giving us jobs, and therefore, we should comply with his demands," the letter claims.
The MTS employees further allege that Chakrabarty has designated the librarian as the contact person for communication with them, who issues them instructions on his behalf, though the librarian is not the right authority to do so. "Librarian Nimai Chand Saha has taken the authority upon himself to provide directions through phone calls and WhatsApp, which is beyond his jurisdiction and violates Visva-Bharati's Act- Statutes and all service rules," the letter states.
Further, "On November 8, 2023, Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty's tenure is coming to an end. It is widely heard that the possibility of his extension is very remote. Under these circumstances, his strong desire is that a procession should come out in the street of Santiniketan," the letter claims, noting that the slogan for the procession should be "Bidyut Chakrabarty should be given another term as Vice-Chancellor or at least an extension of one year”.
"He blackmails us with the opportunity of our probationary jobs and forces us, around 250 MTS members, to participate in the proposed procession. He will send the photograph of the procession to the Ministry and will try to extend his tenure. But for carrying the said procession we will be hackled by common people of Bolpur-Santiniketan in the street; even our lives may be endangered. Is this acceptable, sir?" the letter pleads.
The MTS employees have urged Pradhan to stop the procession from taking place. A copy of the letter has been forwarded to the offices of President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the offices of West Bengal's governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the University Grants Commission (UGC), among other office holders.
