By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 7: The Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising NEHUTA, NEHUSU and NEHUNSA, on Tuesday claimed the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) has no power to appoint anyone in the university on his own.
JAC chairman, Lakhon Kma told reporters they will expose with documentary evidence how the VC, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla lied by providing half-baked information to defend the alleged illegal appointment of technical officer/senior consultant, Rohit Prasad.
According to Kma, the VC did not abide by the UGC Model CRR (Cadre Recruitment Rules) which is a very serious matter.
The JAC chairman claimed the appointment of Prasad is not backed by any statutory provisions of NEHU and is a blatant violation of the Model CRR.
Kma said the only special mode of appointment as per Statute 21 states that notwithstanding anything containing in Statute 20, the Executive Council (EC) may invite a person of high academic distinction and professional attainment to accept a post of Professor or Reader or any other academic post in the university as the case may be on such term and condition as it deem fit and the person agrees for appointment to the post.
According to Kma, the power for such appointment is specific to a teaching post and not to a non-teaching post.
“In the entire Statute and Act of the university, the VC has no authority for appointment with the exception under provision of Statute 21 which refers to appointment of only Professor or Reader. But the EC has to be convinced that he is a person of eminence,” Kma said.
He said the VC avoided the procedure that was required to be followed and this is a serious offence.
The JAC chairman further stated that they are preparing a detailed report on the wrongdoings of the VC and it will be sent to President Droupadi Murmu who is also the Visitor of the university, Governor Phagu Chauhan who is also the Chief Rector of the university, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma among others.
“We had earlier submitted a report mentioning the illegal appointment of Prasad. Now with RTI findings, we know how he was appointed through all illegitimate and illegal procedures and by ignoring the procedure laid down by the UCG. In our fresh dossier, we will point out how Prof Shukla as the VC is not discharging his duties as per the rules, acts, statute and ordinance of the university,” he said.
The JAC will launch its fresh agitation from November 13 to pressure the VC to remove Prasad.
“We will be ready to have a dialogue on the condition that he should first terminate Prasad from this service. Otherwise, we are ready to launch a more aggressive agitation,” the JAC chairman added.
The JAC will address a press conference on Wednesday at the Shillong Press Club to give an insight into the ongoing controversy which rallies around Prasad’s illegal appointment.