Mar 25 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai)

Committee to probe financial irregularities at 

Madras Univ

Siddharth Prabhakar

Chennai:





Rs 47 Cr Said To Have Been Illegally Trasferred

A four-member committee will probe the alleged irregularities in the transfer of `47crore from other funds for paying salaries and building contracts at University of Madras, higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal has said.

The committee will comprise a joint secretary-level officer and at least two syndicate members, he told TOI.

Paliwal made the assurance on the panel at Tuesday's syndicate meeting where finances for 2016-17 were tabled.Of the `47 crore diverted, `14 crore was used to pay salaries, while there was no explanation for the remaining `33 crore. Paliwal heads the three member vice-chancellor convener committee which has been discharging the duties of the vice-chancellor.

“Whether due process was followed in transferring the funds from different heads to make payments is under question,“ he said. The develop ment comes a year after the university's Senate resolved to have a judicial inquiry into the transfer of `5 crore from a UGC grant meant for a nanoscience centre to pay a builder.

This was a violation and was done due to the dire financial situation, registrar P David Jawahar had admitted to TOI. He said he would have to face an inquiry , but said he acted on the directions of `senior officials' The inquiry is yet to be conducted as the Senate resolution didn't reach the syndicate. Professors forum of the university petitioned the Governor and higher education department on the issue.

Paliwal also directed professors to file a detailed petition on allegations of irregularities in appointing registrar in-charge, head of the Institute of Distance Education and 40 college governing council members of affiliated colleges.. All these were allegedly made without the syndicate's approval. “We shall look into the allegations and take strict action if there is any merit,“ Paliwal told TOI.

The university's finances are in a mess due to the construction of multi-storied buildings costing crores on Guindy and Taramani campuses, said a senior IAS official who was in-charge of the higher education portfolio recently .