Return advancefees: HC tells NU

NAGPUR: The Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench pulled up the Nagpur University officials on Tuesday for taking advance charges from the managements

of proposed colleges. It warned the officials against taking advance fees from colleges in future.

A division bench of justices Dilip Sinha and FM Reis also directed the university to return Rs 5.8 lakh taken from nine colleges. The colleges were from Hinganghat, Chandrapur, Gondia, Nagpur and other places. The university in its perspective plan for this year had invited applications from the interested parties for setting up new colleges before October 31.

However, the proposals of these colleges came after the last date and were rejected. The university official had accepted fees from various education societies for opening up to 15 colleges of different faculties in six districts under the university.

Indira Gandhi Gramin Vikas Sanstha of Hinganghat and Shubham Vikas Sanstha of Gondia were the petitioners in the case. The petitioners' counsels Hemant Bhongade and Manjusha Awachat contended that since the university had accepted money in advance, it should ensure that the proposed colleges should get permission to operate.

When the court asked university counsel on why it took money in advance, he failed to provide satisfactory replies which irked the judges. He only informed that these colleges' proposals were received on November 3, three days after the deadline, which led to their rejection. The judges asked the university to accept money only when college actually starts operations.