NEHU Tura campus refute charges on ‘financial irregularities’

PMJVY projects aimed at upscaling growth and development of Tura campus

Tura, Jan 21: The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Tura campus has refuted the allegations levelled by NEHUTA on financial irregularities involving an amount of Rs. 94 Crore. NEHU Tura has clarified that the work order for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikash Yojana projects is yet to be allotted.

They said that the projects were prepared by NEHU Tura campus following procedure to upscale the growth and development of the university campus in Garo Hills. The NEHU Tura Campus Director has refuted allegation by NEHUTA, which had said that Vice Chancellor and his associates were involved in the gross financial mismanagement in Tura campus.

The clarification was shared with Hub News after a local English daily on January 18 had said that Vice Chancellor Prof PS Shukla as the chairman of building committee has allegedly brushed aside rules and norms by tendering and issuing work order. The report had said that the Vice Chancellor and his associate Campus Director, NEHU Tura campus were involved in the ‘financial irregularities’.

On Monday, the Campus Director (CD), NEHU Tura Campus Prof Sujata Gurudev released a statement to Hub News clarifying her role in the entire fiasco that has snowballed into a major controversy.

Prof Gurudev said that on November 01, 2024, NEHU Tura campus had officially communicated to the Vice Chancellor on the urgent matter concerning the Tura Campus which required timely action.

“The first regarding the PMJVK multi-crore infrastructure project and the second is regarding construction of a food testing laboratory funded by Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, Government of Meghalaya, which must be built in compliance to Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), and International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) as per the Government of India pertaining to Food Testing Laboratory,” the clarification said.

Prof Gurudev clarified that Vice Chancellor nor his office has responded to the concerns raised by NEHU Tura campus.

“Both projects require certain criteria to be fulfilled as they are funded by the Government. To date, the CD has received no official reply from either the Registrar’s office or the Vice Chancellor’s office regarding the progress of these two projects. The PMJVK project was initiated by the Tura Campus due to decades of neglect in the matter of capital grants and infrastructural projects, solely earmarked for Tura Campus. It is a matter of utter shame that a Campus which caters to a student community from Khasi. Jaintia and Garo Hills as well as a massive influx of students from every nook and corner of India and abroad has minimum hostel facilities, especially as the Tura Campus is located in the outskirts of the city,” Prof Gurudev said in the statement.

Neglect in Tura campus

The Campus Director highlighted neglect by the NEHU authorities for Tura campus. The statement said that four department in NEHU Tura campus are functioning without proper infrastructure. It says that MBA department has no dedicated Computer Lab, Agri – Business department functions from hostel, amongst various other concerns, which shows decades of neglect.

The Forestry Department functions from quarters, while the Horticulture department functions from converted Post office and storerooms. Both the departments desperately require Lab spaces. The Dept. of History and Archaeology function from the corridors of MBA department.

“The Campus does not have a strong room for the examination scripts despite of conducting college and university examinations for the whole of Garo Hills. Despite these appalling conditions the Departments of the Campus, the Teachers, Students and the Non-Teaching community have worked hard to keep the standards of the Campus, making it a deeply respected institution of Garo Hills. The Campus is on the trajectory of great change and growth as the School of Agricultural Sciences is in the final stages of ratification and will commence shortly at the Tura Campus. The increased footfall of students requires urgent action by way of providing hostels for the students,” the statement said.

Demand for Govt aid

The Campus Director in her capacity as chairperson of CDC (Campus Development Committee which was constituted with all HoDs, CMO and Joint Registrar of Tura Campus) was deeply concerned about the inadequacy of Infrastructural facility at Tura Campus resulting in a meticulous search for government-aided infrastructure.

“The PMJVK project seemed to meet all the requirements for the infrastructure development of the Campus. All proceedings were diligently carried out resulting in the administrative sanction received on March 2024 – however, the financial sanction is yet to be received as the procedure at the higher levels has been delayed at the Shillong Campus,” the statement said.

The financial year ending is in March 2025 and that leaves the Tura Campus with just one month to put the procedures in place. This delay is a matter of grave concern to every stakeholder of the Tura Campus and the community who are invested in the growth of the Campus.

The project would be adding in the first phase 4 hostels, which include 2 PG hostels (96 seater each) and 2 research scholar hostels (150 seater each). It may be noted that the Tura campus has only one girls’ hostel and two boys’ hostels. The research scholars as well as international scholars do not have any hostels.

The 1000-seater digital auditorium would greatly benefit the University as well as the people of Garo Hills. The second phase would bring a 4-storied building which would help departments function with the dignity of a premiere Educational Institution.

Issue of work order

On allegation on work order, the Campus Director has clarified that work order has not been issued till date by the Tura campus.

Certain facts of the proceeding of the PMJVK Administrative sanction are as follows:

The CPPP portal was non-functional when the said proceedings began so it was placed on the NEHU website. EoI can also be uploaded in institutional website as per Chapter 5, Sub-clause 5.1.3 of manual for procurement of Consultancy. After the initial process the file was send to Headquarter for verification and necessary directions.

The Campus Director has not issued any work order in December 2023 as this can be done only by the competent authority at Headquarter at Shillong. It was only a letter as per the routine process to inform Manipur Tribal Development Corporation (MTDC) about their selection after evaluation process of Eol constituted committee. Thereafter, the file was forwarded to headquarter for the procedural check and necessary action to be taken up as decision on such matters cannot be taken up at the Tura Campus.

MTDC is a PSU registered under the company act 1956 of MCA, GoI and shall work in compliance with local governance (autonomous council) only in commencement of the project.

The Ministry has given only the administrative sanction of the PMJVK project to the Tura Campus and yet to get final approval from MoMA, which will be issued only after the compliance of all the requirements of PMJVK.

Also Read: Additional police platoon deployed in Mawkynrew to maintain law and order : SP East Khasi Hills

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