The higher education department has written to the registrar of Gour Banga University in Malda that Raj Bhavan “cannot communicate with the office of the registrar” on “university matters”.
The letter was issued on April 9, days after Raj Bhavan instructed the university’s registrar to seal the office of the officiating vice-chancellor who was relieved of his charges by the governor on March 31.
The department has written: “It may be reiterated that as per provisions of the Gour Banga University Act, 2007, there is no secretariat of the Hon’ble Chancellor and therefore OSD and EO, Senior Special Secretary, Governor’s Secretariat, West Bengal, cannot communicate with the Office of the registrar on the University matters.”
On April 4, Raj Bhavan instructed the registrar to seal the office of the VC, an order which the university’s executive council refused to comply with.
The governor is the ex-officio chancellor of all state-aided universities.
The department wrote to the registrar after he sought directions following the chancellor’s instruction to seal the chamber of the VC.
“….as per relevant provisions of the acts and statutes of the university, the registrar shall be under the direct control of the vice-chancellor and the court (a body of the university). So, being a subordinate employee of the university it is difficult for me to seal the chamber of the vice-chancellor. Such a situation may invoke the administrative crisis of the university and the students in particular will suffer,” the registrar wrote to the department’s principal secretary on April 5.
“Considering the crying situation and greater interest of the students, the undersigned is seeking your kind direction or instructions.”
Registrar Biswajit Das told The Telegraph: “We are studying the details of the direction that the department has sent.”
The chancellor could not be contacted on his mobile phone.
His response was awaited on an emailed query.