A section of teachers at Jadavpur University said at a meeting held on Monday that Buddhadeb Sau, who was asked by the state education department last week to keep officiating as vice-chancellor, be told to quit if he refused to sign files as officiating VC.
Sau has been staying away from office even after the communication from the government and his absence has allegedly triggered an administrative deadlock on the campus with crucial files remaining unapproved.
The deadlock forced the pro-VC, registrar and other senior JU officials to hold a sit-in on the campus on Monday as a mark of protest.
Sau stayed away from the VC’s office on Tuesday as well.
Sau said in a press release issued late on Monday: “Due to ongoing legal and administrative confusion, caused by series of communications, especially from the Chancellor’s Office, vis a vis, related communications from the State Government, regarding the functioning of Interim VC JU, I prefer to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court.”
“Accordingly, at present, I am not going to the office of VC JU. In this perspective, my humble request to both Chancellor Sir & State Government, is that - Please come forward together and solve this impasse, to bring about normalcy in the academic and administrative ambience of our beloved JU.”
Governor C.V. Ananda Bose is the chancellor of JU.
The Supreme Court is hearing a special leave petition, which the state government has filed challenging the chancellor’s authority to appoint officiating VCs without consulting the department.
The confusion over communications which Sau referred to stems from the fact that the education department had clarified on Friday that Sau, whose removal the chancellor had ordered on December 23, could continue as officiating VC.
This clarification was issued a day after the chancellor’s office wrote to the pro-VC and the registrar to ensure that Sau did not exercise“any unauthorised authority” in the university administration.
Partha Pratim Roy, secretary of Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association, said: “A large number of teachers, at an emergency meeting convened by the association, said that Sau be told that he should either sign the files in his capacity as officiating VC or quit. Many said they were dismayed over the press release that Sau has released.”
“Till last week, Sau maintained that he would not resume discharging responsibilities of VC till the state government clarified his status. Now he is referring to the case being heard at the Supreme Court. Going by that logic, none of the officiating VCs of the 20-odd universities should go to the office”.
A head of the department at JU said they needed to get the signature of the VC to send projects to the funding agencies.
“Research scholars need to go for a field visit and the tour will cost Rs 1.50 lakh. The VC can give the financial approval as he is empowered to clear any bill up to Rs 3 lakh. The officiating finance officer can only approve bills up to Rs 75,000. The appointment of guest teachers is also on hold as the VC is not attending the office. We need guest teachers as many full-term teachers’ posts are vacant,” the head of the department said.