Bihar Governor upsets govt with decision and delay

University vice-cancellors appointed without consultation,bills held up.

A tussle has built up between Bihars government and Governor,with leaders bristling at the latter for appointing the vice-chancellors of six universities,apparently without consulting the government,and for allegedly holding up five education bills sent to him. It has not yet blown into a war of words but the ruling JD-U has taken up the matter with the Centre.

Governor Debanand Konwar,for his part,insists that he had consulted Nitish Kumar on the appointments,an assertion since denied by the Chief Minister. The Governor did not comment on the bills held up.

JD-U national spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari,Rajya Sabha MP,says he recently took up the matter with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.

The Governor is the chancellor of the six universities concerned but the government has taken exception at the appointment of the six vice-chancellors without consulting the government,which it describes as established procedure. Several ministers have spoken in the open against Konwar for having bypassed the state government.

The government has also put its objections against Raj Bhavan on record. HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh wrote to his Raj Bhavan counterpart Afzal Amanullah to ask the Governor to reconsider the appointments.

Konwar said he did consult the Chief Minister and knows the CMs mind. He was referring to a meeting with Nitish last month. Nitish countered: Consultation does not include telepathy. He added,Every institution is supposed to work within its limits.

Deputy CM Sushil Modi made a more direct attack on Raj Bhavan,saying,For months,14 bills including five education bills were pending with the Governor. After we raised the issue,he cleared seven finance bills but has tried to stall the five education bills. About the appointments,Modi said these have not done any good to the relationship between Raj Bhavan and the government.

Story continues below this ad

In the last Assembly session,the Governor had returned three of the bills terming them money bills. These were the Bihar University Service Commission Bill,the Bihar University Tribunal Bill and the Bihar State School Teachers and Employees Dispute Redressal Tribunal Bill,all 2011. In March,he had used the same expression for two other education bills the Bihar State University (Amendment) Bill and the Patna University (Amendment) Bill,both 2010 and the Speaker overruled them. Later,Raj Bhavan sent these bills back to the HRD department,with queries.

HRD Minister P K Shahi said passage of the five education bills could have brought about administrative reforms in universities. We have been going per as our education blueprint but the confrontation is taking us nowhere.

On the VCs,Shahi said: None of the six names recommended by the state government was considered by Chancellor Konwar. How can this be called a consultation? HRD files do not mention the consultation either.

Shivanand Tiwari,who met P Chidambaram this week,said: I discussed it with the PM last week and have now urged the Home Minister to help resolve this.

Status Report

Story continues below this ad

6 VCs appointed by Raj Bhavan have taken over but confusion persists in each of these universities

5 bills held up are:

* Bihar University Service Commission Bill,2011

* Bihar University Tribunal Bill,2011

* Bihar State School Teachers and Employees Dispute Redressal Tribunal Bill,2011

* Bihar State University (Amendment) Bill,2010

* Patna University (Amendment) Bill 2010