Raj Bhavan feels state will repent its decision 'made in haste'

Following the state government’s action of stopping salaries and allowances of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) appointed by the Governor, Raj Bhavan felt that the state has "acted in haste" and may have to repent its decision in near future.

Eleven V-Cs appointed by Governor C V Ananda Bose, who is also the Chancellor of state universities, will not be accorded pay and allowances for the position of V-C by the state Higher Education Department (HED). The department has called these appointments illegal because the Chancellor allegedly decided on the appointments without informing the department.

Sources in Raj Bhavan said on Wednesday that the Governor has made it clear that this sudden decision by the state was “inappropriate”. He believes that the state acted in haste since a case has been filed in the Calcutta High Court relating to the matter. It was further learnt that Raj Bhavan believes that the state will repent its decision in days to come since it took a hasty decision.

The Governor, after making the appointments had clarified that the Chancellor

can consult the state government but concurrence is not needed.

Raj Bhavan sources had clarified that “when the proposals were sent by the (education) minister to the Chancellor, he had considered and rejected some of them, which amounted to consultation. Concurrence is not required.”

However, soon after the appointments were made, education minister Bratya Basu shared a note on Twitter in Bengali which said that he came to know about the appointments of new V-Cs from the media.

He claimed such an appointment was made without any discussion with the state’s higher education department and in alleged contravention of the existing rules for making such appointments.

He termed it “illegal”. The minister had requested all appointed VCs to reject such appointments but on the next day some of the V-Cs went to Raj Bhavan to take the oath while others did not turn up at work.