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AU students force closure of counters, depts
MEMBERS OF Allahabad University Union (AUU) created ruckus on the varsity campus and forced closure of counters and departments besides damaging flower pots kept near the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar's office over the issue of misuse of funds at the AU Zoology department on Saturday. They also announced their decision to go on an indefinite strike from Monday.
MEMBERS OF Allahabad University Union (AUU) created ruckus on the varsity campus and forced closure of counters and departments besides damaging flower pots kept near the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar's office over the issue of misuse of funds at the AU Zoology department on Saturday. They also announced their decision to go on an indefinite strike from Monday.
Unhappy with the composition of the fact-finding team appointed by the Vice-Chancellor to probe the allegations, the AUU members demanded exclusion of Science Faculty teachers from the team and relieving of Head of the Zoology department Prof Pratima Gaur of her charges for a free and fair probe.
Meanwhile, the two students sitting on a hunger strike over the issue for the past two days— Anand Kumar Singh and Satya Priya Sengar— continued with their agitation despite requests to call it off from many AU teachers and officials.
AUU members first assembled at the Union Hall for a 'General House' meeting and later took out a procession in support of their demands. Addressing students, AUU president Ajit Kumar Yadav expressed his anger over the reported soft stand of the Vice-Chancellor over the issue of misuse of funds and said that be it the misuse of lab grant funds or spending of funds received by the department for other projects, the varsity should get it properly investigated.
Later, the AUU office-bearers including the president, secretary Suresh Yadav and the vice-president Brajendra Mishra entered into an altercation with the Proctor Prof HN Mishra when he tried to stop them from taking out the procession. Angered over this, the students went on a rampage breaking flower pots, forcing closure of departments and office counters.
After the intervention of the Dean Students Welfare, the AUU office-bearers sent a memorandum to the VC urging him to get the allegation of funds misuse properly investigated by an unbiased agency and also hold direct talks with the students sitting on a hunger strike and demanding appointment of non-science faculty teachers in the fact-finding committee appointed by the VC to probe the allegation of funds misuse. The students on hunger strike are demanding involvement of Dean (Arts) Prof KG Srivastava, HoD (Medieval History) Prof NR Farooqui and Prof SC Tiwari of Zoology department in the panel.
Meanwhile, the Zoology department remained a hub of activities due to the annual UGC-SAF Grant review meeting that was attended by Prof SC Lakhotia of BHU and Dr MZ Chisti of Kashmir University representing the UGC and chaired by AU VC Prof Rajen Harshe on Saturday. The meeting has gained importance in light of its timing that has coincided with the allegations of funds misuse by the department.
In another development, AUU General secretary Suresh Yadav on Thursday evening sent a fax message to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development urging the Union HRD minister Dr Arjun Singh to initiate an inquiry at his level into the alleged misuse of funds at Allahabad University's Zoology Department.
He also drew the attention of the Minister to five other issues concerning the university including corruption as well. He pointed out that due to delay in the appointment of regular officials to the top administrative posts of the varsity, discipline as well as proper administration is taking a beating.
