{"id":7482,"date":"2020-07-19T16:37:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-19T16:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/?p=7482"},"modified":"2020-07-19T16:37:32","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T16:37:32","slug":"bengal-governors-decision-overruled-govt-appointee-takes-charge-as-pro-vc-of-burdwan-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/?p=7482","title":{"rendered":"Bengal: Governor\u2019s decision overruled, govt appointee takes charge as Pro-VC of Burdwan University"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By: Express News Service<\/a> | Kolkata |
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublished: June 3, 2020 6:03:37 am\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\"Governor

The squabble between the Trinamool Congress government and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the appointment of a Pro-Vice Chancellor of Burdwan University continued on Tuesday as the state administration\u2019s appointee Professor Ashis Panigrahi, who teaches zoology at Kalyani University, took charge.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee had hit out at Dhankhar for disregarding the government\u2019s list of three names, and appointing Professor Goutam Chandra, the head of Burdwan University\u2019s zoology department, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration and Academic). Panigrahi\u2019s appointment was announced by the state higher education department in a late night order.<\/p>\n

Chandra said he had not yet taken charge as he was awaiting his appointment letter from the Governor. \u201cAfter the Governor\u2019s order, another order was issued by the state government, which appointed another professor to the post of pro-VC of Burdwan University. I really don\u2019t have anything to say in this regard as I am really confused about the entire matter. Let\u2019s see what happens now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Panigrahi said, \u201cAs per the order issued by the higher education department, I have taken the position as Pro-VC today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the government\u2019s move, the Raj Bhavan directed the VCs of state universities to send their communications directly to it. The Governor is the chancellor of universities by virtue of his position.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the war of words between Dhankhar and Partha Chatterjee took an ugly turn as the Governor lashed out at the minister for calling him a \u201cBJP<\/a> man\u201d Monday, while Chatterjee said Dhankhar was behaving like a thug.<\/p>\n

Dhankhar claimed Chandra had been appointed after consultations with the minister. Reacting to Chatterjee\u2019s claim that he wants to appoint \u201cpeople loyal to BJP\u201d in education institutions, the Governor said such statements were unbecoming of a minister.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the reported statement, the Hon\u2019ble Minister has called the Governor \u2018BJP man\u2019\u2026 Such an allegatory stance, apart from being highly regretful, is unbecoming for the position he holds as Minister. It is also an outrage of the Oath of Office he has taken as a Minister,\u201d the Raj Bhavan said in a statement. Dhankhar demanded that Chatterjee withdraw his statement, and sought Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee<\/a>\u2019s intervention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe appointment of the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Burdwan University was effected after due consultation with the Hon\u2019ble Minister on more than one occasion in accordance with the statutory provisions of the Burdwan University Act. The same is in accordance with the legal regime and competence of the Chancellor enjoys under the provisions of the Act,\u201d said the Raj Bhavan.<\/p>\n

Dhankhar also took umbrage at Chatterjee for reminding him that the government pays salaries in all state universities. \u201cHis stance that the Governor should remember that \u2018government pays salaries in all the Universities\u2019 is not only lamentable but betrays ignorance about the working of the Constitution and democracy. Does he intend to indicate that by paying salaries, such vital educational institutions are required to be at his beck and call, be in subordination and compliance mode? Such a situation will be a death-knell of education in the state, and is unacceptable,\u201d the Raj Bhavan said.<\/p>\n

In response, the Education Minister took a dig at the Governor and accused him of threatening the VCs of state universities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never heard in my career before that a Governor is issuing an appointment letter. It is completely undemocratic and unconstitutional. He is misusing his position as the Governor of the state. We will not accept it. Moreover we heard from vice-chancellors that the Governor is threatening them over the phone. Things such as \u2018you will be suspended\u2019 and \u2018you will be finished\u2019 are being said to vice-chancellors\u2026 It is hurtful to come across mastan-like [thug-like] statements from him,\u201d Chatterjee told reporters.<\/p>\n

In December 2019, the state government had brought in new rules to curb the Governor\u2019s role as chancellor of state universities. Some of vice-chancellors\u2019 powers were also curtailed.<\/p>\n

In a gazette notification, the state government abolished the chancellor\u2019s secretariat, reduced the chancellor\u2019s role in choosing vice-chancellors, took away his power to convene meetings of the highest bodies of the universities or take action against vice-chancellors.<\/p>\n

The West Bengal State Universities (Terms and Conditions of Service of the Vice Chancellor & the Manner and Procedure of Official Communication) Rules, 2019, were introduced to the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Act, 2017, during the last winter session of the state Assembly.<\/p>\n

In Tuesday\u2019s order, the Raj Bhavan said the rules do not override the provisions of the Acts governing various universities.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udce3 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress)<\/a> and stay updated with the latest headlines<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For all the latest Kolkata News<\/a>, download Indian Express App.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Express News Service | Kolkata | Published: June 3, 2020 6:03:37 am West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar The squabble between the Trinamool Congress government and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the appointment of a Pro-Vice Chancellor of Burdwan University continued on Tuesday as the state administration\u2019s appointee Professor Ashis Panigrahi, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kolkata"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/JAGDEEP-DHANKHAR.jpgw759.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}