Cabinet gives its nod to appoint CM as Chancellor of state universities

Kolkata: The state Cabinet on Monday approved appointment of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as chancellor of the universities under Agriculture , Health and Animal Resources Development (ARD) department of the state government by replacing Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

There are two universities Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in North Bengal and Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, under the aegis of the Agriculture department. The West Bengal University of Health Sciences is under the Health department while the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences is affiliated to the state ARD department.

The state Cabinet on May 26 had approved the appointment of the Chief Minister as chancellor of the state-run universities replacing the Governor.

However, the Cabinet decisions needed to be passed as Bills in the state assembly to become a law.

The state government is also mulling the removal of the Governor from the 'visitor' post of the private universities in the state and appoint the state Education minister in his place.

As a visitor of the private universities, the Governor can enquire about their functioning of the private varsities and can also give the call on holding their convocation.

All the Bills in this regard are likely to be tabled at the monsoon session that kicks off from June 10.

With Trinamool Congress having an overwhelming majority in the assembly, the proposal is expected to get the nod easily but to be implemented, the Bill had to get consent from the Governor before becoming an Act.

Recently Governor Dhankhar had gone into a war of words with the vice-chancellors over the functioning of universities and had also alleged that V-Cs of around 25 universities were appointed without his consent. He had further complained that despite being the chancellor he was not being invited to the programmes organised by the universities.