Move brings centre on the brink of ‘sudden death’
THE CENTRE of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance (CBMR) on the campus of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), a pet project of the UP Government, is gasping for breath. It has just Rs 9,412 left in its account and five of its ten young scientists have quit for pecuniary reasons— no salaries etc.
Its condition should not have been so. But thanks to the director SGPGIMS, who, for reasons best known to him, returned Rs 3.2 crore released by the CSIR way back in 2003, instead of forwarding it to the CBMR.
This research centre is funded by four Central agencies—Department of Science & Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and also University Grants Commission (UGC). The Rs 3.2-crore CSIR fund was the first installment of the Rs 20.5-crore grant, okayed by a high-powered meeting headed by the Prime Minister, to the CBMR. Now, the director’s strange move has blocked release of any further funds to the centre.
The situation at the CBMR apparently turned so grim at one point of time that the State Government feared its flight to some other State. It was then the governor, who also is the Visitor of the SGPGIMS, ordered splitting of the CBMR from the SGPGIMS on April 4, 2005. This is what the Governor’s order said: “The actions taken by the Director SGPGIMS are example of negligence by him…Now under any circumstances the centre should not go out of UP…The Centre be made into an independent unit.” Director of CBMR Prof CL Khetrapal had written to the governor saying, “Director SGPGIMS was not giving desired cooperation to the Centre and there were efforts to close down the centre.”
While talking to Hindustan Times, Khetrapal said the chief secretary had approved appointment of an associate professor to the CBMR but the director did not issue an appointment letter.
{{/usCountry}}While talking to Hindustan Times, Khetrapal said the chief secretary had approved appointment of an associate professor to the CBMR but the director did not issue an appointment letter.
{{/usCountry}}Prof Khetrapal is one of the pioneers in the filed of magnetic resonance in the country and is working in the field for last 45 years.
“The Centre now is no more with SGPGIMS but still we are not getting funds as the funding agencies first want the utilisation of previous funds to release pending installments and give more grants.
The governor wants the returned fund back but that has not happened so far,” said Khetrapal.
Director Kartar Singh was not available for his comments.