SHILLONG: NEHU has clarified that repeal of the ordinance that allows Hill Area Special Allowance (HASA) was following the direction of the President of India, in the capacity of the Visitor of NEHU communicated to the University through the MHRD.
Regarding the ongoing row over the HASA and the allegation of ‘tampering’ of minutes of the Executive Council, NEHU in a statement on Friday said that a letter dated April 27 was sent to the Secretary to the President of India on the subject “Explanation/Representation by the Executive Council of NEHU under Section 8(6) of NEHU Act, 1973”, requesting the Visitor (President of India) to allow the NEHU employees to continue to avail HASA in response to the letter of April 3 directing the University to stop payment of HASA to the employees of NEHU.
Official communication was also sent to the Secretary to MHRD requesting the President of India to allow NEHU employees to continue to avail HASA and another covering letter was sent forwarding the minutes of the 47th Emergent Executive Council sent to the members of the Executive Council. “All these letters 529 to 531 have also been clarified in the 10th Emergent Academic Council meeting when the same issue was raised”, NEHU said.
The University further clarified that due to inadvertent error the draft minutes of the 48th Emergent Executive Council meeting signed on May 16 was forwarded instead of the confirmed minutes of the 48th Emergent Executive Council meeting signed on May 23.
“This inadvertent error has been communicated to MHRD in a letter from Deputy Registrar (Conference) subsequently wherein this inadvertent error has been regretted by the University. The VC thus owned the responsibility of any inadvertent mistake from the University. Hence, there was no deliberate design or forgery or manipulation of minutes of any kind”, the statement said.
NEHU said that the letter dated June 12 received from Deputy Secretary, MHRD Department of Higher Education stating that the direction of the Visitor (Repealing of Ordinance on HASA and discontinuance of payment of HASA) should be complied with and failure to comply would amount to intentional misappropriation of Government funds and the persons who sanction the HASA and who receive the same shall be solely responsible or accountable for the same.
