Delhi govt stops funding of 28 DU colleges, Sisodia says can’t allow corruption

Delhi University colleges funded by Arvind Kejriwal-led government get the money in four instalments. Colleges say they will start feeling an impact by November if the stand-off continues

The Delhi government has stopped grants to 28 Delhi University colleges funded by it on account of the university not forming governing bodies for the last 10 months.

There are 28 DU colleges fully and partially funded by the government. The governing body of each college has 15 members out of which five are nominated by the government. (Burhaan Kinu/HT FILE)

Twelve out of the 28 colleges are fully funded by the government and 16 are partially funded. The government had asked Delhi University to form governing bodies before making any appointments.

The university is currently in the process of hiring permanent faculty.

“I can not allow unchecked corruption and irregularities to be sustained on Delhi govt funds in the name of Education. The sequence of events from Sept 2016 seems to indicate a deliberate and malafied attempt to delay formation of gov bodies by DU,” deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said in a series of tweets on Monday.

“Everything from payment of salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff to payment of electricity bill is done through Delhi government’s funds. If we don’t get the funds the college will have to stop,” said SK Garg, principal Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, which is fully funded by the government.

However, DU officials said there won’t be any immediate impact on any of these colleges.

“We receive funds of about Rs24-25 crores in four instalments — July, November, January, and March. We have already received the first instalment, so there won’t be any immediate impact and the matter will hopefully be resolved in a few weeks,” Garg said.

Dean of Colleges Devesh K Sinha said they have written a letter to the government on Monday assuring them that the governing bodies will be formed within a week or two.

“The executive council had raised certain objections to the nominations. We are supposed to have a variety of experts in the body but the government, for instance, had recommended five educationists to one college. However, we are in the process and soon the bodies will be formed,” Sinha said.

He said that the government’s main concern is that the governing bodies should be formed before the appointments. “Anyway the appointments are not happening before September so there is time,” he said.

Twelve DU colleges are fully funded by the Delhi government, including Shaheed Raj Guru College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Maharaja Agarsen College, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.

Sixteen DU colleges are partially funded by the Delhi government, including Gargi College, Kamla Nehru College, Shivaji College and Delhi College of Arts & Commerce.

In June, the government had asked colleges to not go ahead with faculty appointments till college governing bodies are formed and had also threatened to withhold funds to college in case of non-compliance.

The government has asked the University to “duly constitute” the governing bodies, which will include five members nominated by the government, before making any appointments.

DU colleges have been advertising vacant faculty positions following a High Court order.