Tags:
Journalism of Courage
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.
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.
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.
