Three Rajas in PM’s SKUAST-J procession

Vigilance seeks their prosecution; Registrar puts them to honour Singh, Omar

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, March 3: Within a small domain, three academics are known as A Rajas of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology Jammu (SKUAST-J) on account of their alleged involvement in corruption, malpractices and financial bunglings spearheaded by a former Vice Chancellor. Even as Governor N N Vohra ordered a thorough investigation and two major organs of the state government---Department of Finance and State Vigilance Organisation---held them guilty and sought their prosecution, all the three would be following Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the ceremonial academic procession at the university’s annual convocation here on Friday.

Highly placed sources in SVO revealed to Early Times that permission for prosecution of 17 officials of SKUAST-J was awaited from Vice Chancellor Dr B Mishra. Those found guilty in the financial irregularities and corrupt practices, spearheaded by former VC Nagendar Sharma, during his tenure in 2005-08, include three senior Professors of the University, namely Dr A K Srivastava, Dr M R Bhagat and Dr Karnail Singh Rissam. All the three academics have been included in the Academic Procession that would be following Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as well as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the SKUAST-J convocation on Friday.

Prime Minister has been invited as chief guest to present gold medals and degrees to fresh graduates and post-graduates of the university. Governor Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would be attending the function, particularly the academic procession, as Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor of SKUAST-J respectively. Vice Chancellor, Registrar, all members of the University Council, all members of the Academic Council and Board of Management would be among two dozen-odd dignitaries to form the Academic Procession in their ceremonial robes.

The same procession includes SKUAST-J’s former Director Resident Instruction Dr A K Srivastava. Appointed as Director National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, in 2008, Dr Srivastava would be attending the Convocation as the representative of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) in SKUAST-J’s Board of Management. He is also holding lien of five years with SKUAST-J. While as Dr M R Bhagat would be in the PM’s procession as the university’s  Director Resident Instruction, Dr Karnail Singh Rissam stands invited as Director Extension. SKUAST-J officials confirmed that all the three had been invited and would be among participants of the Academic Procession.

Responding to serious allegations of corruption, favouritism and other malpractices against former VC, Dr Nagendar Sharma, Governor Vohra had ordered a high level inquiry in 2008. Then Financial Commissioner Agriculture Production, S L Bhat, was appointed by Governor as incharge VC of SKUAST-J. Well before the appointment of Dr B Mishra as the full-time VC, Commissioner-Secretary Finance in Omar Abdullah Government, Sudhanshu Pandey, directed Wali Mohammad, then Director Audit and Inspection and now Director General of Accounts and Treasuries, to conduct a focused investigation into the serious charges against the former VC and his coterie of officials.

Dr Nagendra Sharma, who superannuated at the age of 65 years in September 2008, when he had completed just three years of his tenure, faced the allegations of having recruited faculty and other staff on the basis of corruption, favoutism and nepotism. He also faced charges of malpractices in placing supply orders and work contracts, threreby raising a cumulative liability of over Rs 40 Cr, still unsettled.

Following submission of Finance Department’s inquiry report, Chancellor-Governor Vohra desired a thorough investigation by SVO. During the course of a detailed investigation, SVO found as many as 17 SKUAST-J officials involved. They included former VC, Dr Sharma, Dr Srivastava, Dr Bhagat, Dr Rissam, the accused VC’s henchman and Comptroller (chief of accounts). Even before completion of the SVO investigation, Comptroller was placed under suspension at the moment of his reaching superannuation on March 31, 2009. Assistant Registrar, A K Kaul, who had been appointed as incharge Registrar, was also placed under suspension before his retirement on November 30, 2009.

Sources revealed that on the basis of its detailed investigation, SVO under rules sought permission from the new incumbent VC, Dr B Mishra, for the prosecution of 17 SKUAST-J officials. VC, in turn, sought the advice and opinion of the state Law Department that happens to be the university’s Legal Advisor. According to these sources, Law Department too favoured prosecution of the 17 accused officials. Permission for the prosecution is reportedly in infinite pendency due to the pressure generated by Dr Srivastava and few others at ICAR.

Vice Chancellor as well as Registrar were not immediately reachable for comment. However, sources not authorized to speak on the subject in SKUAST-J said that efforts were underway to rectify the error---and thus stave off a big embarrassment for the PM, Governor and CM---by removing the Vigilance-tainted academics from the Academic Procession.

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