Nauni university row: Finance Dept flags VC’s conflict of interest

The issue of granting him consequential service benefits for the period preceding April 2025 was introduced as a spot agenda at a BoM meeting on August 12. The Finance Department objected to the last-minute inclusion of the matter, pointing out that it had not been discussed earlier and could not be examined without a detailed proposal. Since the issue involved financial implications, the department sought relevant facts, records and legal and administrative justification before it could be considered.

The department also raised a conflict-of-interest issue, questioning the VC presiding over the BoM while an agenda directly concerning his own financial and service benefits was under consideration.

The controversy has another dimension. An earlier BoM meeting had granted prosecution sanction to the CBI to prosecute Baweja. At the August 12 meeting, an agenda was moved to declare the earlier BoM proceedings invalid on the ground that the tenure of some members had expired when the meeting was convened. The proposed move would effectively invalidate the prosecution sanction granted to the CBI.

The Finance Department opposed this contention, citing Section 21(1) of the university Act, which states that no act or proceeding of a university authority shall be invalid merely because of a vacancy among its members.

Officials also noted that the Registrar had dissented from the move to invalidate the earlier proceedings. Given the alleged conflict of interest arising from the VC presiding over the August 12 meeting, the Finance Department maintained that the matter required legal scrutiny before being accepted by the BoM.

The face-off between the administration and faculty at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, intensified on Wednesday with three more faculty members being issued show-cause notices by Registrar DP Sharma.

The action came despite the Horticulture Secretary withdrawing the order through which Vice-Chancellor Dr HS Baweja had appointed Sharma as Registrar after divesting Siddhartha Acharya of the post. Acharya was subsequently restored as Registrar by the Secretary, Horticulture.

The three faculty members — Dr Ashu Chandel, Professor and Head, Basic Sciences; Dr Ranjana Kumari, Assistant Professor, Department of SAF; and Dr Nidhish Gautam, Scientist, Extension Education — were issued notices for their alleged conduct outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office on October 5. A similar notice had been issued to Dr Subhash Sharma on Tuesday.

The faculty members have been asked to submit written explanations within seven days, failing which their cases would be placed before the competent authority for initiating disciplinary proceedings.

Horticulture Secretary C Palrasu said the government was seized of the matter concerning Sharma signing orders as Registrar despite withdrawal of the appointment order.

“Despite clear withdrawal of the orders issued in violation of the university statute, Dr DP Sharma will face the music,” Palrasu said, indicating that disciplinary action, including a possible suspension, could follow. Meanwhile, Sharma also issued an office order transferring five employees, including senior assistants.