E-Paper
Funds granted to CSA unutilised
CHANDRA SHEKHAR Azad Agriculture and Technology University (CSA) was facing a piquant situation. Grant money of over Rs 2 crore was lying unutilised and was on the verge of surrender due to the university?s financial controller? apathy.
CHANDRA SHEKHAR Azad Agriculture and Technology University (CSA) was facing a piquant situation. Grant money of over Rs 2 crore was lying unutilised and was on the verge of surrender due to the university’s financial controller’ apathy.
According to university sources, the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) had sanctioned development grant of Rs 4.73 crore. Out of this Rs 2 crore could not be utilised within the financial year that ended on March 31.
It was alleged that for no valid reasons the financial controller refused the payment of bills for the new purchases done after due approval from the vice chancellor of the university. There were about 220 supplier firms which did not get their payments despite the availability of funds with the university.
The officer-in-charge of the stores furnished Rs 2 crore bill for payment but the financial controller refused to make payments causing embarrassment to the university authorities. Over half a dozen departments made purchases or ordered for equipment but none of their bills could be passed so far.
Above all, the finance controller disallowed petrol even for the cars used by vice chancelor Dr MM Agarwal. According to some professors at the university, the financial controller has refused to pay for the purchase of diesel for the generator. The VC was forced to sit in his room without fan and light. Besides all university vehicles were lying idle for want of petrol.
Recently at a meeting of the sub-finance committee, expressing anguish over the delay in payment to the suppliers, the members of the committee directed the finance controller to expedite the payment. Consequently a sum of Rs 8.8500 was released by the finance department of the university. But no other bill was cleared.
The university administration is afraid that in case the grant money was surrendered they would not be able to get the amount next year under the heads for which the grant was given by the ICAR. Besides the surrendered amount would be deducted from the amount of the fresh grant to be issued to the university by the ICAR next year. This would put the university in a perilous situation. Financial controller RP Kandpal could not be contacted .
