A meeting was held at Jadavpur University on Wednesday with the heads of all departments and other senior officials to discuss the campus impasse stemming from the decision of the officiating vice-chancellor to not attend the office, said a JU official.
The meeting resolved to convene an emergency meeting of the finance committee to grant financial approval and clear certain pending payments as officiating VC Buddhedeb Sau is neither attending the office nor signing any files.
Sau, whose removal from the post of officiating VC had been ordered by the governor on December 23, has since been twice told by the higher education department that he might continue as the authorised VC. The governor is ex-officio chancellor of JU.
The meeting of the finance committee will be called by pro-VC Amitava Datta, an official said. Usually, the VC convenes meetings of the finance committee.
Payments of the contractual workers could not be cleared as the VC has not been attending the office. The workers held a protest on Tuesday.
"The finance committee will grant necessary approvals that will ensure that the contractual workers are paid their dues," the official said.
Wednesday's meeting also empowered the pro-VC to approve proposals to engage guest teachers.
"The university will inform the state education department about the steps it has taken to deal with the unprecedented situation," registrar Snehamanju Basu said.
Parthapratim Biswas, who attended the meeting as head of the construction engineering department, said: “Payments of the contractual workers are pending. The officiating finance officer can only clear bills up to Rs 75,000. The payment which is due exceeds the limit. So we met to work out a solution."
Manojit Mandal, head of the English department, said: “It's inexplicable why the VC is not turning up, especially when we are facing tremendous hardship."
Why is Sau staying away from the office?
“The Supreme Court is hearing a case over who has the authority to appoint officiating VCs. Also, contradictory orders are being issued by both sides (the governor and the government). So, I am awaiting the court’s order before deciding what to do," he said on Wednesday.
