E-Paper
AAI-DU pays over Rs 1 cr to lawyer
ALLAHABAD AGRICULTURE - Deemed University (AAI-DU) is again in the news for wrong reasons. Recently, it was in the news for committing irregularities with regard to running unapproved courses on campus and also running around 991 illegal distance education centres throughout the country, involving a sum of around Rs 200 crore.
ALLAHABAD AGRICULTURE - Deemed University (AAI-DU) is again in the news for wrong reasons. Recently, it was in the news for committing irregularities with regard to running unapproved courses on campus and also running around 991 illegal distance education centres throughout the country, involving a sum of around Rs 200 crore.
But now it appears to be involved in yet another financial scam.Can any counsel, practising in this city, even dream of receiving a sum of Rs 1,04,50,788.00 (one crore, four lakh, fifty thousand seven hundred and eighty eight) in just eight days spanning four months as legal fee?
Believe it or not, computerised bank statement, which mentions the name of this counsel, clearly reveals this mind-boggling fact. The AAI-DU has, through its two controversial financial comptrollers, paid this enormous sum to its legal counsel on March 24, 2005 (Rs 25 lakh), Octobers 1,6,8 and 26, 2005, ( Rs 29,27,973.00), December 20, 2005 ( Rs. 33,98,040.00), January 12, and 31,2006 ( Rs 16, 24,775.00). This is not all. As on date the entire AAIDU land has been mortgaged to several banks by few board members of the management committee in alleged connivance with the VC Dr RB Lal.
One of the deals with IOB Civil Lines is worth Rs 18 crore. Surprisingly, in this land mortgage deal the authorised signatories stood as guarantors also. This deal was just one-man show under Dr RB Lal, chairman of the finance committee.
The authorised signatories and guarantors were then registrar Dr Sarvjeet Herbert (now pro-VC) and Dr Sunil Behari Lal, dean agro forestry. He is also the younger brother of the VC.
An AAI-DU (KVK) scientist Issac Frank in a letter to the HRD Minister Arjun Singh has highlighted both these facts. He has urged the minister to get the matter investigated through CBI/ Economic offences Wing. If proper investigation in this matter is carried out several other financial scams committed by the recalcitrant AAI-DU authorities would come to light. Frank has also sent copies of the complaint to the Governor, CJ Allahabad High Court, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Secretary Finance, DM and Editors of several newspapers. He has also sent complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi and State ADG Vigilance Lucknow. Meanwhile, VC Dr RB Lal could not be contacted for comments as he was out of the city, informed his office.
The ADG vigilance VN Rai, when contacted on phone, said the department was doing its job.
