Assam Governor suspends Dibrugarh University Vice Chancellor Dr Ranjit Tamuly

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: Assam Governor Prof Jagadish Mukhi, who is also the Chancellor of Dibrugarh University (DU), has placed the Vice Chancellor of DU Dr Ranjit Tamuly under suspension with immediate effect until further orders keeping all facts and materials available on record, including report submitted by the fact-finding commission. He has decided to appoint a high-level inquiry committee to go into details of functioning of Dibrugarh University over the last five years.

The committee, as per the order issued by the Commissioner & Secretary to the Governor of Assam, will focus on financial transaction and financial administration, corruption, discipline, misuse of funds and misuse of powers among other aspects of University Governance. The order further stated that the suspension order is in necessity in order to ensure that 'witnesses are not influenced, coerced in any way and material records of the university are not tempered with in any manner whatsoever and in order to ensure a fair enquiry'.

The Governor-cum-Chancellor of DU, under Section 10(5) of the DU Act, has handed over the charge of the Vice Chancellor of DU temporarily to Prof. RNS Yadav, Department of the Sciences, DU-cum-Dean, Faculty of Biological Sciences, DU Until further orders, 'so that the normal functions of the university are not hampered whatsoever and the interest of students and all stakeholders are upheld', the order stated.

The DU Teachers' Association, Lahowal MLA Rituparna Baruah, president and secretary of DU Officers' Association , president and general secretary, DU Employees' Association DUPGS Union and DU AASU unit submitted memoranda to the Governor-cum-Chancellor on January 25 and January 27 respectively 'raising serious allegations of financial irregularities and misconduct and misappropriation of fund against Vice-Chancellor Dr Ranjit Tamuly, and appealed to constitute a high-powered inquiry committee. Unsatisfied with the explanation given by Dr Ranjit Tamuly in reply of the Governor's letter No GSA.42/18/PT/.I/64 dated January 26, the Governor constituted a fact-finding committee under chairmanship of Preetom Saikia, Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Higher Education Department, and Moloy Bora, Commissioner, Upper Assam Division, Rajiv Sensua, Scientific Officer, and Israphill Mushahari, Scientific Officer, Documents Division, Directorate of Forensic Science, Assam as members. The fact-finding committee had submitted its report after a thorough enquiry on February 8 with serious notes, including harsh verbal treatment to the teaching community, the personal expenses incurred by the Vice-Chancellor which were without proper procedure and not adhering to the existing rules and regulations.

The involvement of other officers of DU like Dr Hari Chandra Mahanta and the Deputy Registrar (F&A) Diganta Bora, the reports added, 'were working under pressure as well as in league' with the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ranjit Tamuly. DU Engineer Prasanta Sarmah also had a hand in picking and choosing certain construction firms for civil works in the form of syndicate. The forensic report forwarded by the fact-finding committee reveals that prima facie there is a case of tempering.

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