Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she would resort to “economic sanctions” as part of a “tit-for-tat strategy” if colleges and universities act in deference to what the governor says.
The chief minister said if she decides on economic sanctions, she would like to see how the governor, the ex-officio chancellor of state-aided universities, pays the salaries of college and university teachers.
“If you (the chancellor) decide to interfere in colleges and universities and if the colleges and universities act in deference to what you say, then I would resort to economic sanctions. There won’t be any compromise on this. Tit-for-tat. Then I would like to see how you pay the salaries of college teachers, how you pay the salaries of university teachers,” Mamata said in her address on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.
The state education department pays the salaries of teachers and employees and for expenses like infrastructure and maintenance in colleges and universities aided by the state government.
The chief minister said: “Remember, the Raj Bhavan where you have your office runs on our funds. The expense of the tea that you serve to a guest is borne by us. We foot the plane fare bill which goes into bringing in your friends from Kerala. We meaning the state government and the common people. So don’t try to exercise illegitimate rights. We won’t tolerate this.”
Mamata said she had little choice but to raise this on the Teachers’ Day platform, given what was happening on the campuses over the past few months.
“I sincerely regret that I had to raise this here. But I had no choice, given what is happening over the past four to five months. He (the chancellor) does not even let us call the Assembly.... We don’t prorogue the Assembly. It is very difficult. What is this?” she said.
Calls, emails and text messages to the chancellor, Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose, from this newspaper went unanswered.
The chief minister’s “tit-for-tat” threat came days after chancellor Bose unilaterally announced the names of officiating vice-chancellors of 16 universities and issued a circular in which the Raj Bhavan asked officers of state-aided universities “not to take orders directly” from the state government.
Mamata warned that if these unfair practices go on she would be forced to “hold a sit-in agitation in front of Raj Bhavan”.
“I will categorically tell the education minister and the education secretary. I will also tell our chief secretary, the finance secretary and home secretary. Please take care. We have to fight this battle very carefully. If you deem that someone is trying to snatch your rights to toy with federalism, I would be forced to hold a sit-in in front of Raj Bhavan. I won’t allow the education system to collapse. Today the students are suffering. Those who are undeserving have been appointed as VC,” she said.
On June 12, days after chancellor Bose appointed 11 officiating VCs to state universities without consulting the education department, the department in a communication to the VCs had said: “The appointment of vice-chancellor cannot be accepted as a valid appointment and therefore the state government does not accord the financial sanction with regard to pay and allowance for the position of vice-chancellor for the appointed incumbent”.
On June 28, Calcutta High Court ruled that those authorised to perform the duties of a vice-chancellor “would be entitled to draw the allowance, if any, applicable to the vice-chancellor”.
The education department last month moved the Supreme Court, challenging the chancellor’s authority to appoint VCs unilaterally.
“We hope the court will listen to us,” Mamata said.
The education department convened a review meeting with registrars of universities on September 8 on the subject of expenditure following the chief minister’s instructions.
In Tuesday’s address, Mamata said the officiating VCs appointed by the chancellor without consulting the education department could not be called to such a meeting.