Dimapur, June 9 (MExN): Nagaland University’s latest spoof story in the form of shoddy building constructions has attracted demands for Vice Chancellor Prof. K Kannan’s resignation. The Central Executive Council of the Nagaland University Teachers’ Association (NUTA) pointed to what it said is the vice chancellor’s serious violation of university Act and statutes.
The VC is accused of directing the executive engineer of Nagaland University to officially take over the incomplete buildings at Lumami campus from contract-builders NBCC, on behalf of the university on June 8.
In a memorandum addressed to the VC, the NUTA today referred to clause 16 (2) of Nagaland University Act, 1989. It states that “The Registrar shall have the power to enter into agreement, sign documents and authenticate records on behalf of the university and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the statutes.” This clearly stipulates that only the Registrar of Nagaland University has the authority to sign any MOU or agreements on behalf of the university, the NUTA said.
“…it is highly irregular and illegal on the part of the vice chancellor to authorize the executive engineer to sign the taking over of the incomplete buildings from the NBCC. Furthermore, it is highly questionable that all this is being done in the midst of the CBI inquiry which is also investigating serious financial irregularities, of the prime minister’s package of 43 crores at Lumami campus,” the memorandum stated.
The NUTA questioned why the NBCC was not sued for its poor workmanship and “non-completion” of the buildings within the stipulated time as per the MOU, till date. The teachers demanded clarification also on the reasons the executive engineer was directed to take over the incomplete buildings. This was in spite of the status report citing serious anomalies in construction and poor workmanship which was submitted by the recent committee constituted by the VC himself.
“If the vice chancellor is serious about developing the university, he should have been stationed in Lumami, taking full responsibility, so that quality work is done and all infrastructures are completed at the earliest” the NUTA lamented in its memo.
Also, the NUTA objected to the VC’s action of replacing the professor-in-charge of Lumami campus before his tenure was over, “on the ground that the professor-in-charge did not agree to the directive of the vice chancellor to take over the buildings from the NBCC”. Further, the teachers said, “redesignating” the deputy registrar of Lumami as the OSD of administration overnight and directing him to take over the building, “speaks volumes of his capability as an administrator and total disregard of the Nagaland University Act”.
Over shifting the headquarters to Lumami, the NUTA said it was only through the efforts of the teachers that the Visitor had on January 14, 2009 directed that the “university authorities/ officers should make a time-bound plan of action of shifting the office of vice chancellor from its present location at Kohima to Lumami.” “Therefore, NUTA demands that in view of the failure in discharging your responsibilities and to uphold the University Act and Statutes, the NUTA reiterate that you must step down from the chair at the earliest,” the teachers demanded.
