Prof SK Srivastava, the under-fire stand-in Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), has “abdicated” his responsibility for running the institute by skipping town according to his personal whim, the Meghalaya Confederation for Academic Welfare (MeCAW) said in a press release today.
MeCAW Chairman, Roykupar Synrem, cited two specific examples, saying that Srivastava was absent from office on January 4 and 11 and had failed to appoint someone to run the office in his absence. The Pro-VC, also a Srivastava ally, Henry Lamin, was also absent on those dates, the statement added.
“When he is asking teachers to obtain his prior permission before leaving the city, even during the vacations, he remains unaccountable and abdicates all responsibility towards NEHU,” Synrem said.
MeCAW also criticized the move by Srivastava to name Lamin as the Chief Vigilance Officer of the university.
The rules, Synrem said, “explicitly debar” anyone from becoming CVO if they have been involved in the tendering process or other matters where there is the scope for corruption.
The release says that “investigating agencies” are looking into cases of corruption in NEHU’s tendering process in which Lamin would have been involved, so it would be wrong to appoint him as CVO as there is a massive conflict of interest there.
Lamin, as Chairman of a sub-committee that evaluates tenders, recommends, as well as, approves bids.
“The very fact of his recommending bids and approving them is a gross violation of the vigilance manual and the general financial rules,” MeCAW said.
