High-level panel sought to probe charges against ex-VC

ABVP has demanded that the state government constitute a high-level committee to probe into the alleged illegalities and corruption charges against the former vice chancellor of Mangalore University.

Briefing reporters here on Wednesday, ABVP state secretary Harsha Narayana said that the committee should submit its report to the government within three months. Stringent action should be initiated against all those who were part of the illegalities reported at the Mangalore University.

The ABVP will also urge the University chancellor and governor Vajubhai Vala to order a probe into the alleged illegalities.

Noting that a senior official of the state government has written a letter to the registrar of the University on July 6 seeking details on alleged illegalities based on the reports from media, he said that the MLAs had raised the issue in the recently concluded Assembly elections as well.

Further, Harsha Narayana said that the ABVP will initiate ‘Mangalore University Ulisi’ campaign.

Explaining the alleged illegalities, he said there were illegalities in the purchase of laptops for SC/ST research students and desktop for the offices of Mangalore University. The laptops did not have an operating system and software. Karnataka Transparency Public Procurement Act was flouted while installing CCTV Cameras in the campus. Local candidates were denied employment while recruiting the staff, he said.

Harsha Narayana said though solar streetlights were installed in the campus, the streetlights do not burn. The University has violated UGC guidelines in its distance education programme, he alleged. There were illegalities in the construction of the international complex, outsourcing the security, sanitation and in the D group employees as well, he alleged.

ABVP convenor Sudhith Shetty said that the Board of Studies (BoS) in Kannada at Mangalore University has been embroiled in controversy for the last two years in finalising curriculum for undergraduate students.

Last year, a lesson on Baragur Ramachandrappa’s ‘Yuddha Ondu Udyama’ had the stirred hornet’s nest; this year it was ‘Maguvina Tande’ by Mattaru Vittal Hegde that had a reference to an extramarital relationship, which created controversy.

Though the University withdrew the lesson following objections raised by the students’ community, the ABVP wants the University to withdraw the entire textbook and reprint the textbook to be given to the students. Action should be initiated against the Board of Studies, which was responsible for creating these controversies, he said. The ABVP has initiated a postcard campaign in this regard. The students have already started posting postcards to the authorities, he added.