Cuttack, January 3: Chaos has struck Choudwar College yet again, with teachers and non-teaching staff not getting salary for last four months. Electricity supply to the college was cut off last week owing to non-payment of consumption charges.
This unpleasant and undesirable situation arose out of the absence of an approved regular Principal in this college, that continued for last three months till Higher Education Department, at last, appointed Shivanarayan Rana, the senior most member of teaching staff as Principal in-Charge on December 29. Soon after taking over charge he ensured power supply on priority, but the employees are yet to wait some more days to draw their salary.
According to reports, it has all started since September 30, the day the regular Principal retired on superannuation. She did not follow the standing provisions for nomination of her successor that resulted in this official bottleneck. So, the future of this leading institution in the district gropes in dark.
The whims and caprice of a nexus of self-seeking members of its staff have made low-salaried employees’ families starve. Instead of sending the name of four senior most deserving teaching staff for obtaining the approval from the Department of Higher Education, a list of four that has at top two names who are fall at 14 and 15 places, in the rank of seniority according to the order issued by the Higher Education Department.
It is also surprising that the Cuttack Sub-Collector-cum-President of the College Governing Body, has appointed a member from the list who figure at 14 in the rank of seniority.
However, the proposal for obtaining approval for the Principal in-Charge sent to the Higher Education Department after pending for months was disposed of recently. It is alleged that the processing of this file was deliberately prolonged by the machination of this nexus. Some of them are also allegedly tarnished with financial fraud.
Lakhs of rupees of college money have been recovered from one of these people after audit objection in the past and a right to information application regarding the embezzlement of funds allotted for construction of cycle stand for students filed by a local months ago, are still not being complied.
Recently a letter from Deputy Director (NCNE) to the Cuttack Sub-Collector-cum-President, Governing Body, Choudwar College, has requested him to furnish factual report on alleged corrupt and autocratic activities of Chittaranjan Das and Pravakar Mishra, Lecturers of this college, immediately acting on the petition of one Bijaya Das, a local.
It’s also alleged that the same reports are being prepared in their favour by a committee constituted of allies of same dubious persons. Locals have also made a plea to the district Collector to set up an inquiry committee to probe the matter and take steps against those who try to create administrative chaos in the college.
