SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 18: A high-level five-member team of the higher education department today began a probe into alleged financial irregularities and realization of the heavy amount by authorities from principals, teachers as well as B.Ed colleges in Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University (BBMKU) Dhanbad
As per the announcement of the state government, the team led by the Under Secretary of the higher education department, Syed Riyaz Ahmed, reached Dhanbad and began an investigation at the Bhelatand-based BBMKU headquarters.
Official sources said that Higher Education Department Deputy Director Vibha Pandey, Officer Anupam Kumar, Finance Officer of the Human Development Department and Auditor of the Higher Education Department are other members of the team.
The allegation against the university authorities is that they opened an account in HDFC Bank at Bank More branch in the name of BBMKU Sponsorship and Development Fund without taking permission and realized a heavy amount from colleges and teachers of the university.
As per the complaint lodged to the Raj Bhawan, university authorities realized Rs 7 lakh each from Dhanbad–Bokaro based 22 BEd colleges, Rs 1 lakh each from constituent colleges, Rs 30,000 from university officers as well as heads of the department.
Sources said even a donation of Rs 50,000 was taken out of the constituent college BEd teachers’ arrears.
A portion of the fund was used in purchasing furniture before the Raj Bhawan directed to dismantle the account. It is said the university authorities had not taken permission from the Raj Bhawan as well as the higher education department before opening the account.
As per the complaint to the Raj Bhawan, teachers and principals of colleges were transferred on a large scale who refused to pay to development funds. Taking cognizance of the allegation, the Raj Bhawan had stayed the transfer of a principal.
Surprisingly, Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Sukhdeo Bhoi who took charge of BBMKU in June 2022 had on January 3, 2022, called media persons and alleged that the university is under a pool of corruption and he has to take hand over of new building, which was incomplete, under the pressure of the state government as well as the district administration.
The higher education department had taken serious note of his allegation against the state government.
Interestingly, the VC sacked the Chancellor-appointed Finance Officer of the university Dr BN Singh at a meeting in March this year when he (Dr Singh) reportedly opposed vehicle allowance to an officer who was not entitled.
The probe team members did not allow media persons to enter the office while concerned authorities of BBMKU switched off their mobile phones.
