Jadavpur University has decided to seek legal advice on the special allowance that Buddhedeb Sau gets as vice-chancellor despite not having attended the office since December 27.
JU’s finance committee, which met on Wednesday, decided to seek legal advice after going through Sau’s communication in response to a letter from the registrar in March, officials at the university said.
Sau had suggested that the university approach the “judiciary to remove the confusion and impasse”.
A member of the finance committee said the registrar apprised the finance committee about what Sau had written to her and the committee resolved to seek legal opinion.
“The finance committee has decided to take legal opinion. We will await the legal opinion and then decide on the next course of action,”
said registrar Snehamanju Basu.
Sau wrote: “It may be noted that any allowance may be returned on the availability of the court’s verdict or directive. No one is above the Act and Law of the Land.”
The university pays Sau Rs 11,500 a month as a special allowance in addition to his salary.
Many on the campus have questioned the logic behind continuing with the allowance considering that Sau has not been attending the office of the vice-chancellor since
late December. He stopped going to office after a section of teachers sought to know from the registrar who was helming the university, considering that the chancellor (the governor is the ex-officio chancellor of state-aided universities) removed Sau on December 23.
On December 23, Sau was ordered by the chancellor to cease functioning as officiating vice-chancellor as he decided to hold the university’s annual convocation a day after, in adherence to the education department’s directive and disregarding the chancellor’s suggestion.
The education department’s subsequent clarifications that Sau may continue as the officiating vice-chancellor has not been able to bring him back to the office.