Bilal Handoo
KL Report
Srinagar
In a significant move on Thursday Vice Chancellor Kashmir University (KU) Prof Talat Ahmad indicated that he might have to have a white paper on all the informal appointments made in the last few years. It was in immediate response to the grilling that the University managers underwent by the state government, the main financier of the varsity, sources said.
The revelation came in a meeting chaired by Ahmad, in which heads of department (HOD), directors and deans of all faculties were present. Backdoor appointments were the main issue on table.
Sources said there are about 1000 employees in varsity at the moment which stand engaged through back door entry. “There is no doubt about the fact that engagement on casual and contractual basis has been the order of the day during the past many years in the campus,” an official who was the part of meeting early today, said.
Informed sources also revealed that salary of KU staff has been withheld up to this time which is normally sent to officials’ bank accounts on first of every month. “Maybe, existing discrepancies within varsity has compelled authorities to take this decision,” sources said.
The controversy over the backdoor appointments, not sanctioned under the plan approved by state finance and planning ministries, surfaced some months back in KU as well, when a report in vernacular media revealed hundreds of fake class four appointments there. “To tell you the fact, state doesn’t recognise most of these officials appointed by former VC’s and registrars,” told an insider. He added the decision about probing the informal job creation in the university would help understand the mess in the university better.
Meanwhile, the university administration ordered withdrawal of the special transport facilities of almost all the officials. Most of the biggies in the campus were seen seeking “lift” from their juniors who drive around in their personal cars. The decision was taken to reduce the revenue expenditures of the university that had granted official cars to as many as 110 officials. Now only three officials including the VC, the Controller Examinations and the Registrar will have official vehicles. Interestingly, the university was running a full-fledged workshop to take of the official transport which was more than a fleet.
