‘Hefty salaries, irregularities’: After protests by student outfits, GU suspends 10 temporary officials

“We have received representations from student organisations like ABVP and others alleging irregularities in the appointment process and the pay structure of several temporary officials,” in-charge Vice Chancellor Jagdishkumar Joshi said.

The university constituted a three-member committee to look into the complaint submitted by ABVP on August 4 to the in-charge Vice Chancellor alleging violations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) rules in the temporary appointments in the Atal Incubation Centre – Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (AIC GUSEC), Centre for Professional Courses (CPC) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK).

These persons were paid excessively high salaries which caused a financial loss to the varsity, the ABVP has alleged.

“Based on the complaints, a committee was constituted on August 5 which has recommended the suspension of 10 officials. The suspension comes with immediate effect until further orders. If the recruitment rules are violated, they will be terminated. We will seek legal advice and hold discussions with the state government on the issue, if required,” Joshi said.

The final report of the three-member committee is expected within 10 days, he added.

“The committee, constituted as per the order of the Vice Chancellor on August 5, has recommended that all the temporary employees be suspended with immediate effect until further orders, so that an impartial inquiry can be conducted into the appointment, qualification and appointment process of the temporary employees,” the committee said in its initial report.

Narendra Solanki, President of Gujarat unit of the NSUI, has submitted a written complaint to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) demanding a probe into the irregularities in the appointments and possible misuse of government funds in the last three years.

ABVP’s Gujarat secretary Devansh Brahmbhatt told The Indian Express that these appointments in question were made in the last three years during the tenure of former VC Neerja Arun Gupta.

“Earlier, an annual expenditure of around Rs 29.40 lakh was incurred on four officials in the GUSEC-AIC, which was increased to nearly Rs 1.05 crore. The chairman is being paid Rs 5 lakh per month and an official is being paid a monthly salary of about Rs 2.50 lakh. An investigation is demanded into the appointment of the University Engineer, Chief Accounts Officer, Fire Officer, Legal Officer, Director in Centre for Professional Courses (CPC). Along with this, an independent investigation was also demanded into the recruitment in the Centre for Jain Manuscriptology under PMJVK and utilisation of government grants,” Brahmbhatt said.

10 suspended officials

Srinivasa Rao Sureddy-Group CEO, GUSEC (Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council)

Man Singh Rajora -Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute of Defence Studies and Research (IDSR)

Biswajit Adhikari-Senior Vice President, AIC GUSEC (Atal Incubation Centre – Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council)

Dinesh Kumar-OSD, Accounts Division

Dr Paavan Pandit-Director, CPC (Centre for Professional Courses) and Director (In-Charge), KS School of Business Management

Chandra Shekhar Jha-Estate Engineer (In-Charge), Estate Department

Dr Raj Chawla-POP (Professor of Practice)

Tusharbhai Trivedi-Legal Officer

Pareshbhai Soni-Fire Officer

Sonal Malhotra-POP (Professor of Practice)