Bolpur: A year after the ouster of the controversial VC Bidyut Chakraborty, the Ministry of Education has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to investigate massive financial corruption allegations at Visva-Bharati University.
The investigation was initiated following an email from whistleblower Atul Bhargava, who provided evidence of significant irregularities and financial corruption in six departments at Visva-Bharati University.
The email, addressed to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the UGC, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), detailed these irregularities across six areas: the private security agency, the Government e-Marketplace, the property department, the legal cell, the accounts department, and the engineering department.
The Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA) has asserted that these irregularities occurred during the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, who is known for his close ties with the BJP. They have called for “a thorough investigation into every action taken during Chakraborty’s term, as it will expose the full extent of the misappropriation of government funds.”
The most significant allegations centre around the private security department, where officials allegedly billed for the salaries of non-existent security personnel. There are also accusations of misappropriation of funds in government e-marketplace purchases and the sale of prime university land by a property department official, all under the patronage of the VC. The university administration has already issued show-cause notices to six departmental officers.
“The investigation is being conducted as per the UGC’s directive. However, I believe the allegations are false. We could not trace the ID from which the email was sent. We suspect that someone within Visva-Bharati has made these allegations without providing accurate information to the UGC. We have already started the investigation,” said Ashok Mahato, the acting secretary of Visva-Bharati.
On Wednesday, the Superintendent of Police of Birbhum, Rajnarayan Mukhopadhyay, visited and discussed matters with the authorities. He said, “The Visva-Bharati campus is an open area. Therefore, discussions were held on strengthening security, activating the cyber cell, etc.”
Complaints have also been filed with the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding large-scale financial irregularities in the accounts and engineering departments. Despite a previous CAG report that implicated numerous Visva-Bharati officials in financial misconduct, the Ministry of Education has failed to take action. Even the current registrar’s name has surfaced in the investigation.
“There are many such instances of corruption at this central university. One case is already under investigation. A neutral inquiry will uncover more,” claimed local TMC MLA and State Minister Chandranath Sinha.
“In recent months, Visva-Bharati University has been operating without a permanent Vice-Chancellor. A senior faculty member has been appointed to fill the interim role. I’m aware of the corruption allegations and ongoing investigation. Rest assured, a thorough investigation will be conducted to uncover the truth. Any wrongdoing will be addressed through legal channels,” said Atig Ghosh, PRO of Visva Bharati University.
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.
