Shillong, August 3: West Bengal’s Education Minister, Bratya Basu, has called on Governor C.V. Ananda Bose not to withhold a significant bill that proposes replacing the Chief Minister with the Governor as the chancellor of state universities. Basu emphasized the need for an early decision on the matter.
He pointed out that the Governor has two options – either send the bill back to the state government for reevaluation and passage or forward it to the President’s office for consideration. However, Basu asserted that the bill cannot be held back indefinitely, citing rules that prevent the Governor from withholding a bill for more than six months. He expressed concern as almost a year has passed since the bill was introduced.
IANS reported that the Education Minister also criticized the Governor’s selection of interim vice-chancellors, noting that retired Army officers and retired police personnel have been appointed to the position. Basu stated that such unilateral decisions are not in line with the state’s belief in discussions and dialogue.
The Governor’s recent decision to establish an anti-corruption cell within Raj Bhavan premises to address corruption issues in university-level education has drawn sharp criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress leadership, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Chief Minister Banerjee highlighted the Governor’s whimsical approach to appointing vice-chancellors, alleging that he is selecting individuals with no academic background. She emphasized that the norm dictates the state government to recommend three names for the vice-chancellor’s post, and the Governor should select one from among them. However, she expressed concerns about the Governor not adhering to these norms.