NU sleeps on roster report

Nagpur University is wasting students' money on salaries to employees whom a government enquiry has named as being "illegally" appointed. The report into roster irregularities was prepared by the government's general administrative department (GAD). Ironically, the NU officials failed to take any action for about two weeks after receiving the report that had clear recommendation to terminate services of employees appointed illegally.

Sources disclosed that the report was brought to the city along with checked roster when winter session began on December 1. But despite repeated communications, NU officials failed to collect it from the GAD team. It was only on last day of the session -- December 16 -- that the NU establishment accepted the report. Then it was not opened by them citing senate polls.

After first exposing sensational roster scam on March 19 last year, TOI on Saturday published contents of the GAD's confidential report which bared some shocking facts and passed strictures on the NU bosses for not making appointments as per the roster. It mentioned that the appointments of four NU teachers including PN Khobragade, PM Tumane, VK Jambhulkar and DD Barasgade were illegal as roster was totally ignored.

Along with them, as many as 12 posts were filled up in such a manner as to make a mockery of rules. In fact, these people were working in various NU departments since last seven to ten years, occupying posts reserved for another category. Curiously, they were given full salaries and other benefits by NU out of the students' money. The question now is whether NU can recover the money paid to them if they are removed from service. The GAD had already asked the NU officials to immediately replace them with appropriate candidates.

Newly appointed vice-chancellor Vilas Sapkal pleaded ignorance about the report, officiating registrar Mahesh Yenkie was also in dark about it. As per Section 8 of ordinance with respect to reservation for SC/STs and other categories promulgated on January 22, 2004, if any government employee is found indulging in irregularities, s/he should be sentenced to three-month jail term or a fine of Rs 5,000 or both. As per Section 11 of same ordinance, if any employee is found to have gained recruitment flouting norms, his appointment would be considered null and void. The GAD has already found many discrepancies in roster of non-teaching employees, especially in the appointment of assistant registrars.

TOI was first to expose how NU failed to verify its roster resulting in illegal appointments over four years. Subsequently, the government stopped all recruitment in the university. The newspaper also reported how the roster was tampered with by the officials for their benefit. The GAD team has confirmed that the roster was tampered with and there were discrepancies in the number of posts and actual recruitment.