The governor continues to appoint people of his choice as vice-chancellors of Bengal universities.
Around Tuesday midnight, C.V. Ananda Bose appointed an officiating VC at Kanyashree University, named after a welfare scheme of the state government for female students.
That appointment came hours after chief minister Mamata Banerjee threatened “economic sanctions” as part of a “tit-for-tat strategy” if colleges and universities act in deference to what the governor says.
Raj Bhavan issued an order around 12:15am, which said: “Hon’ble Chancellor today appointed Prof Kajal De Vice-Chancellor (officiating) of Kanyashree University, West Bengal.”
Kajal Dey, a professor at Netaji Subhas Open University was appointed officiat-
ing vice-chancellor of Diamond Harbour Women’s University in March by the chancellor.
She now has been given the additional charge of Kanyashree University.
The announcement was made just hours after the chief minister in her address on the occasion of Teachers’ Day asked the governor to desist from such erratic appointments.
This suggests that the governor intends to continue the turf war with the state government over who would control affairs on campuses.
The governor is the ex-officio chancellor of the state-aided universities.
“The governor’s actions suggest he is in no mood to relent,” said the official.
The Kanyashree scheme was launched in 2013 and it has benefited lakhs of girls in the past few years.
The chief minister had inaugurated the campus in Krishnagar in Nadia in 2019.
Education minister Brtaya Basu told a news conference held in his chamber on the Assembly premises on Monday that the chancellor was bound to consult the education department even for the appointment of interim vice-chancellors in state-aided universities.
Basu on Monday also criticised chancellor Bose for entrusting the same person with the responsibilities of multiple institutions.
Calls and text messages to the minister on Wednesday failed to elicit any response.
Sanatan Chattopadhyay, the general secretary of the Calcutta University Teachers’ Association, said in a statement that students were suffering because of the tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the state government.