Cooch Behar: Panchanan Barma University of Cooch Behar is embroiled in a conflict between the Registrar and the university vice-chancellor (V-C), with no resolution in sight.
During a press conference on Tuesday, V-C Nikhilesh Chandra Roy questioned the Registrar’s role in a pen-down programme.
Addressing the press, Roy stated: “There was no pen-down on April 26. Despite some teachers and staff members claiming to the media that the program was a success, I received responses from all departments within 24 hours stating that no pen-down occurred.
The Registrar also confirmed that the university operated normally on that day. Claims made by university professors Piyal Basu Roy, Sablu Burman, Jyotirmoy Bhowmik, and employee Rubel Ahmed regarding the success of the pen-down on April 26, despite the university functioning normally, are entirely false. Such irresponsible statements about the university are unacceptable.”
On April 24, the V-C issued a show-cause notice to the university Registrar regarding certain discrepancies and he was asked to answer within a week. Subsequently, on April 26, professors, temporary and permanent non-teaching staff had allegedly called for a pen-down programme at the university.
Abdul Quader Safeli, the Registrar, declined to comment on the matter. Dr. Sablu Burman, a professor at the university and leader of WEBCUPA, stated: “The pen-down was organised for one day to protest the show-cause notice issued to the Registrar and to demand the smooth functioning of the university...’