GUWAHATI: A four-member fact-finding committee has been constituted to probe the alleged financial irregularities and misuse of public funds by Dibrugarh University vice-chancellor, Ranjit Tamuli.
A notification issued by the office of Assam Governor on Tuesday informed that the committee under the chairmanship of Preetom Saikia, state commissioner and secretary (higher education), would investigate the allegations, authenticate signature, handwriting, examine documents, interact with various persons concerned to ascertain facts and to do all necessary (as per law) to unearth facts.
The other members of the committee are Upper Assam commissioner Moloy Bora besides two scientific officers from the state directorate of forensic science, Rajiv Sensua and Israphil Musahari.
Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Wednesday that the fact-finding committee’s chairman, Saikia has left for Dibrugarh to initiate proceedings of the probe.
The move to constitute the fact-finding committee came less than a week after the All Assam Students Union (AASU), Dibrugarh University (DU) unit called upon the Assam Governor to institute a high-level investigation into the alleged financial irregularities and misuse of public funds in the university.
Members of the AASU (DU unit) had last week staged an agitation in front of the vice-chancellor’s office on the campus of Dibrugarh University, holding placards and banners. A section of irate union members were even reported to have stormed into the VC’s office.
The students union alleged that the vice-chancellor had submitted forged invoices to withdraw public funds.
The union further alleged that the vice-chancellor had purchased a luxury car during the pandemic, violating the government order, dated April 29, 2020, which had banned the purchase of any kind of vehicles, except ambulances and vehicles required for police duty.
