Education department to audit funds to Presidency University

Kolkata: The state Education department will be conducting an audit of the government funds spent by Presidency University in the wake of a number of vacant seats in the University. State Education minister Partha Chatterjee on Saturday held a meeting with the alumni association where the later alleged that the University is nonplussed even after as many as 300 seats in the University is lying vacant.

The state Education department has expressed its concern over so many seats lying vacant and had sought report from the University. Anuradha Lohia, the vice-chancellor of the University said that the authorities cannot compromise with quality when it comes to admission of students.

It is learnt that the alumni association has told Chatterjee that the situation in the University is not conductive to academics and a number of professors who have come to teach at the university with a lot of hope have left for other institutes disappointed.

General secretary of the alumni association Bibhas Chaudhuri has urged the minister to conduct an audit of funds allocated in different disciplines. The association also alleged that the varsity is losing its glory as the funds are being spent for beautification and not for academic purposes.

"We will see whether the government funds are being spent in the proper manner," Chatterjee said.

The Education minister will hold a meeting with vice-chancellor Anuradha Lodia shortly. Classes have already started this year. "We want to ensure that things improve from next year," a senior official of Higher Education department said.