By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The BJP State unit and the Khasi Students’ Union have demanded CBI inquiry into the anomalies of the CMJ University even as the Deputy Chief Minister in charge Education Prof RC Laloo remained non-committal on the action plan of the Education department on the matter.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, BJP general secretary Dipayan Chakraborty, while demanding a CBI inquiry, stated that any private university or professional education centre cannot play with the fate of the students.
While making it clear that the BJP was not against the concept of private universities or educational institutes, Chakraborty also questioned the silence of the State Government on the controversy.
“Since 2007 we have been constantly demanding formulation of laws to regulate the functioning of the private universities in the State,” KSU president Daniel Khyriem said on Thursday, while expressing concern over the growing number of private universities in the State.
Khyriem also blamed the Government for the current situation saying that the Government had failed to implement rules and regulations with regards to the functioning of private universities in the State.
The KSU president also informed that the union has entrusted its education secretary Donald Thabah to visit the University and meet officials and affected students.
When reporters questioned him on Thursday, Education Minister Prof RC Laloo only repeated the statement of the Chief Secretary that the State Government last year had constituted a regulatory body to regulate the functioning of the private universities in the State under the Meghalaya Private Universities (Regulation of Establishment and Maintenance of Standards) Act, 2012.
He claimed that the Government realized the need to come up with the regulation body after so many universities flourished in the State.
“All cases of complaints are dealt by them,” he added.
The Minister also informed that besides the existing eight or nine private universities in the State, a few are still awaiting approval of the State Government.
Pointing out that action against any fake university will be taken as per the Private Universities Act Prof Laloo said that both the Governor and the Government will keep the interest of the students in mind while taking any decision.