Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad (UoH) spends over Rs 4 lakh on the security of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Podile Appa Rao and pays Rs 14,000 per month for fuel, according to information provided to an RTI activist, Mr Syed Hashim Adil.
The university stated that Prof. Rao had three vehicles since 2015, two of which were still being used by his family. The fuel expenditure amounts to an average of Rs 14,000 per month even though Prof. Rao’s official residence is situated on the campus. What this information implies is that Prof. Rao travels around 100 km daily, which can take up to four hours in the city.
The university said it paid Rs 14,49,843 for Prof. Rao’s visits outside the city between November 2015 and May 2019. Among other expenditure, the university spent Rs 4,99,199 on curtains for his official residence.
The university provided information regarding its security employees only after the petitioner sought other details like the list of the employees in the horticulture department and the list of the domestic housekeeping staff (both permanent and temporary) working at Prof. Rao’s residence and their total salary, none of which was furnished.
Prof. Rao has a security cover of three security supervisors and 15 security guards. The security staff works in three shifts — one security supervisor and five security guards are deployed per shift.
The university has been paying Rs 24,270 per month to every security supervisor and Rs 22,644 per month to every security guard, which means a total of `49,49,640 per annum. Between January 1, 2015, and March 1, 2019, the university spent Rs 85,003.14 towards his mobile phone bills and Rs 13,952.76 towards his residential landline bills.
“Several illegal and corrupt practices have been committed by a cartel of the university’s officers in connivance with each other through an organized conspiracy,” Mr Adil said.
“Despite the complaints supported by documentary proof, the executive council and finance committee of the university have not taken any action so far,” he added.
