The Jadavpur University registrar has written to Buddhadeb Sau, who has not been attending the office of the vice-chancellor since December 27, seeking his opinion about the special allowance he continues to get “in the capacity of the vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University”.
The letter mentions that Sau was not using the university car allocated for a VC.
Registrar Snehamanju Basu has said in her letter that “Prof Buddhadeb Sau” has “neither signed as an officiating/ad-hoc vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University nor presided over any meeting or taken a decision in the capacity of officiating /ad-hoc vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University”.
The university pays Sau Rs 11,000 monthly as a special allowance in addition to his salary.
In any state-aided university, a VC is provided a special allowance and transportation facility beyond his or her regular salary drawn as a professor.
Sau was appointed authorised VC in August 2023 by the governor, who is also the ex-officio chancellor of state-aided universities.
On December 23, Sau was ordered by the governor to cease functioning as officiating VC as he held the university’s annual convocation disregarding the chancellor’s suggestion.
The state education department has since clarified twice — on December 24 and January 8 — that Sau may continue to perform the duties of VC.
But Sau has stayed away from office. He has cited the confusion caused by the contradictory communications and a court case now in the Supreme Court for his decision.
The apex court is hearing a special leave petition that the state has filed challenging the chancellor’s authority to appoint officiating VCs without consulting the education department.
Registrar Basu said that at a meeting of the finance committee on February 20, many wondered whether Sau should continue to get the special allowance considering his absence from the office of the VC.
“The communication was sent following what the committee resolved,” Basu told The Telegraph.
Sau, who teaches in the mathematics department, sent his response to the registrar on Friday. Sau has “suggested” the university should approach the “judiciary to remove the confusion and impasse”.
He has also blamed a section of teachers for creating confusion over his continuance as the VC and the registrar for adding to the confusion.
Sau wrote that the university court had on December 24 recognised him as the officiating VC.
“Accordingly, the annual convocation had been held on December 24, 2023. Despite that, a section of teachers at the university are in confusion. On December 28, 2023, they asked you to declare the name of the vice-chancellor. Instead of giving appropriate answers to this section of the teachers, you had asked the department of higher education without informing the vice-chancellor,” Sau wrote.
Registrar Basu on December 28 wrote to the department asking who had the authority to grant administrative approval as a section of teachers and officials wanted her to declare the name of the VC following the removal of Sau by the chancellor.
Sau has written: “Under this situation, I as a professor of this university, should not opine about the vice-chancellor’s doable and allowance…. 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.”
When contacted by this newspaper, Sau declined to comment.
Registrar Basu said: “We will take legal opinion regarding the response.”