CHENNAI: The Professors' Forum of Madras University has demanded an enquiry into the diversion of funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore by university officials. In a petition to Governor's office, Professor S.S. Sundaram, general secretary of the forum, alleged that the funds meant for Nanoscience centre were diverted and paid to a building contractor without following norms.
The payment was made during the last year. The petition also pointed out that no action has been taken even after a resolution was passed at the Senate meeting. “In the absence of the vice-chancellor, the convener's committee has approved to give the funds to the contractor. But, only one member of the convener's committee has approved it which is a violation of the procedures,” Mr Sundaram told DC.
The officials from the university said, “The fund is diverted mainly due to lack of funds in the university. If the same was not paid and if the court ordered to pay the dues to the contractor with interest, then the university has to pay it from the corpus fund. In such case, the professors and employees wouldn't have got their next monthly salary,” they explained.
When asked for comment, David P. Jawahar, registrar, University of Madras said, “If at all any payment was made to anybody it was done according to the will of the syndicate. The syndicate had already approved in 2014 that the payment must be made.”
“Once, it was passed in the syndicate you have to follow it and where is the question of an enquiry?” he asked. He further said, “Such payments were made even in the terms of the previous vice-chancellors and registrars. The petitioners can themselves go through all the files and documents whenever they want.”
Some professors raised the question over the timing of the complaint saying it is being made now to malign the university officials.
