Varsity cuts deficit

MARCH 17: The net deficit in the budget of the University of Mumbai for the year 1998-99 is expected to be Rs 229.08 lakh. The Convenor of t...

MARCH 17: The net deficit in the budget of the University of Mumbai for the year 1998-99 is expected to be Rs 229.08 lakh. The Convenor of the Budget Committee, Principal R J Gujarathi, announced this figure while presenting the budget at the annual meeting of the Senate on Tuesday.

8220;There has been a surplus of Rs 330.81 lakh on recurring accounts and a deficit of Rs 559.89 lakh on the non-recurring accounts, hence the net deficit is Rs 229.08 lakh,8221; said Gujarathi. However, this amount is less than last year8217;s deficit of Rs 360.17 lakh.

The budgetary deficit is mainly due the provision of Rs one crore for the proposed building for the Institute of Distance Education; a provision of Rs 30 lakh for the construction of new quarters for class-IV employees; and a provision of Rs 20 lakh for Internet facility in the academic departments in the university campus.

However, after the budget had been placed on the floor of the Senate, Madhu Paranjape who is also a member of the budget committee, objected towhy her earlier 8220;note of dissent8221; on certain budgetary proposals had not been mentioned when the budget was being read out.

As a member of the Budget Committee, which included two other senate members, Gujarathi and Amarjit Manhas, Paranjape stated, 8220;I had disagreed on five major items on the budget, and at least now my note of dissent should be allowed to be circulated amongst all the senate members.8221;However, Vice-Chancellor Dr Snehalata Deshmukh reiterated that firstly it was not a note of dissent and the letter which was given to Gujarathi in February this year had been taken up at all levels of the varsity and also read out in a recent Management Council meeting. The VC, hence, disallowed Paranjape8217;s note to be circulated in the Senate.

Among other points mentioned in Paranjape8217;s note was the purchase of a new car Opel Astra for the Vice-Chancellor barely two years after a Maruti Esteem had been bought for the VC. 8220;I take it as a very unfortunate thing that members of the house will not knowabout my note while passing the budget,8221; remarked Paranjape.

Another Senate member pointed that only Rs 30,000 had been reserved for reforms in the examination system. The VC, however, said that a committee from the Board of Examinations will be appointed to look into various malpractices in exams.

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Pointing out the deficit of Rs 229.08 lakh, C R Sadashivan remarked that the state should bear this cost of deficit for the benefit of the varsity. He reasoned that in the past when Chief Minister Manohar Joshi was also a university senate member, he too had demanded the state to pay for the deficit.