SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 23: Abrupt removal of Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University (BBMKU) finance officer (FO) Dr BN Singh after a heated argument reportedly with the vice-chancellor at a meeting over holding up disputed bills has triggered a new controversy in the six-year-old university.
The university on Thursday evening issued a notification removing Dr B N Singh from the post of finance officer and assigned the responsibility to Dr Munmun Sharan in his place.
The notification said that since the post of FO has been sanctioned, Dr BN Singh has been discharged from his duties.
Notably, Dr BN Singh was appointed as the FO in March 2022 for one year by the Chancellor of the universities (Governor) on the recommendations of the then vice-chancellor John Lakra (commissioner North Chhotanagpur). Later, the next vice-chancellor Mukul Narayan Deo also recommended his name to the Chancellor.
However, the abrupt removal of Dr Singh on Thursday evening, 5 months before the term ended has triggered controversy in the university administration.
Sources said that following the heated arguments between VC Sukhdev Bhoi and Dr BN Singh at the finance committee meeting on Thursday over holding up bills of the examination department, the university issued a notification for his removal in the evening.
A member of the finance committee, who was present at the meeting, said that the difference surfaced between the FO and VC on two points. The FO opposed giving car facilities to the examination controller (EC) calling it against Act and university Statutes. Further, he also opposed the proposal of giving the contract of establishing infrastructure to a single contractor.
“Having seen his opposition on agenda, the V-C lost his cool at the meeting and asked to remove him (Dr Singh) immediately,” said the member requesting anonymity.
Sources said the FO had also held up some disputed bills of the examination department regarding increasing evaluation payment to the contractual teachers and question paper setters. It is said that some teachers had set question papers in two different subjects and submitted the bills for payment. The FO had held up its bills.
Vice-Chancellor and registrar of BBMKU did not receive lagatar24.com‘s call to share the stand of the university.
A retired registrar of BBMKU said that the FO is appointed in the university in two ways. Either JPSC appoints the FO for four years tenure or the chancellor appoints the officer for one year on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor.
BBMKU had no sanctioned post of FO when it was set up in 2017. Acting vice-chancellor Dr DK Singh (director of BIT Sindri) appointed a sales tax retired employee Purti as a financial assistant for discharging the work. When Dr Anjani Kumar Srivastava became the regular VC, he also asked Purti to continue for four years.
However, when North Chhotanagpur Hazaribag Commissioner John Lakra became the acting V-C of BBMKU, he recommended three names to the chancellor including Dr BN Singh, Dr Mumum Sharan and Dr Shyam Kishore Singh for the FO post. The Governor endorsed the name of Dr BN Singh, who was more qualified than others.
Later, Mukul Narayan Dev, VC of Vinoba Bhave University Hazaribagh, who was given the additional charge of BBMKU also sent the name of Dr BN Singh when the Chancellor’s office sought clarification.
