Dimapur, August 21 (MExN): The Nagaland University Teachers’ Association has demanded an inquiry into an anomalous memorandum of understanding signed between Nagaland University’s vice chancellor and the Entrepreneurs Associates.
The matter pertains to the DBT mission for quality planting, material production and utilization, which was granted by the Ministry of Science & Technology only for universities and research institutes in the North East. NUTA said that the project profile given by the EA was also earlier rejected by the expert professor but the MoU was signed nonetheless.
The association has already demanded from the Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi that an immediate inquiry must be taken up into the scam and that the project should be handed over to NU’s department of Horticulture.
The NUTA took exception that the Entrepreneurs Associates’ coordinator Neichute Duolo on August 20 tried to mislead the public on the DBT Mission for quality planting, material production and utilization.
The mission project was granted by the Ministry of Science & Technology to ten universities and research Institutes in NE, including Nagaland University.
Duolo had claimed that the project “is an initiative of the EA and the vice chancellor.” Documentary evidence proves that such projects were sanctioned to all the eight NE states through the universities and research institutes, NUTA informed. It was informed that the Expert Professor from the Ministry, Science & Technology on his visit to Kohima, questioned Prof. Kannan, in the presence of Duolo, why the project was not being done by the university’s department of Horticulture, which has the Tissue Culture Laboratory. “Prof. Kannan lied to him and said that when the project came the teachers were on strike and so he made himself the principal investigator .However, no teachers were on strike in December 2007 when it was sanctioned or in May 2008, when Prof. Kannan signed the MOU with the Entrepreneurs’ Associates,” the NUTA said in a rejoinder today.
According to university rules and regulations, when Prof. Kannan is not appointed as a teaching faculty of the department of Biotechnology, he cannot be a principal investigator. He can only coordinate as the vice chancellor.
The Expert Professor is said to have made it very clear that the project was to be conducted by NU’s Horticulture department. He is said to have expressed displeasure to Prof. Kannan and Neichute Duolo, (in the meeting held in the VC’s Chamber at Kohima) and rejected the project profile given by Duolo, saying that it was not in consonance with the proposed project.
Regarding the mission project, saplings and planting materials were expected to be produced by the Horticulture experts through scientific analysis for better productivity from the tissue culture Lab at SASRD in Medziphema. They were then to be supplied to Naga farmers from all the districts through a collaborative network with the Central Institute of Horticulture at Medziphema. Further, the project is not a so-called “micro project” as claimed by Duolo. It is envisaged to cover the entire state and later the North east.
“One hectare is equivalent to 10,000 sq m and it envisions 200 hectares to be covered in Nagaland, covering all eleven districts and not only Phek District. It is expected that the plants will be grown with expertise on climate, soil and feasible locations,” the NUTA said in refutation of Duolo that it is a ‘trial project.’
NUTA also reminded the EA that there is no department for agriculture department in Nagaland University, but 22 academic departments that compose the School of Agriculture and Rural Development at Medziphema, with their own distinct expertise, involved in training Naga farmers and research.
“It is highly questionable that Prof. Kannan and the Entrepreneurs Associates have ignored the main purpose of the project and production of quality planting materials and instead is seeking saplings to be supplied from Delhi, including edible bamboo, which is not found in Delhi” NUTA said. The teachers have assured that it will not allow manipulations by vested interests.
