SHILLONG, Dec 30: Continuing their tirade against the incumbent Vice Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Prof SK Srivastava, the North-Eastern Hill University-Non-Teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA) have decried the “overall inefficiency” of the VC in carrying out his duties as the executive head of the university.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the non-teaching employees of NEHU, under the banner of NEHUNSA, said the VC’s lack of leadership qualities has led to the disturbance in the day-to-day administrative routine work.
Srivastava, who had joined as the VC in 2015, is a regular absentee from office, they alleged, while adding that he is rarely available in station for two weeks in a month.
“This irregularity has created a disruption in the normal administrative work and has also dampened the moral and spirit of the non-teaching staff,” the statement said. “Professor SK Srivastava is a vice chancellor who lacks the courage to take any dynamic administrative decisions. He does not seem focused on the University affairs, leading to the overall delay in taking important administrative decisions,” it added.
While asserting that Srivastava does not seem to have knowledge in processing files, and frequently withholds and keeps files pending relating to very important administrative/academic matters, the non-teaching staff said, “We become frustrated when important files entering his office are not processed in time and may take months on end to get passed”.
“His five years’ tenure has proved disastrous, especially in handling the various allegations that appeared in the media. Due to his casual approach, he did not bother to appoint regular Statutory Officers (Registrar, Finance Officer, Controller of Examination and Librarian) without which the University system is handicapped. Furthermore, various Group A posts were not filled up,” they said.
However, according to NEHUNSA, in the year 2018 the VC acceded to the pressure and legitimate demands and finally the statutory officers were appointed. Later, in the year 2019, the advertised posts of Group A were filled up after pressure was mounted by the association.
NEHUNSA has demanded for an “abled and dynamic vice chancellor to repair the damage that was done by the incumbent vice chancellor”.
The Association has also urged the Education Ministry to expedite the process of filling up the post with a new regular Vice Chancellor.