Siliguri, Dec. 29.TT: Normalcy returned to North Bengal University today when members of the varsity’s employees’ association joined work after a 50-day long demonstration that hampered administrative functioning of the institution.
The protest was lifted after higher education minister Bratya Basu had yesterday agreed to form a three-member committee to probe into the allegations of corruption against vice-chancellor Arunabha Basumajumdar.
“Since the minister assured us that a committee would probe into the charges against the VC, we have withdrawn our dharna. All the employees joined duty today,” said Lallan Chowdhury, the vice-president of the North Bengal University Employees’ Association.
The non-teaching staff had been agitating since November 9 demanding the recruitment of kin of staff members who died in harness, revision of salaries and promotion of employees. The protesters alleged that the VC had spent varsity funds on legal matters without the mandatory consent of the Executive Council. Basumajumdar could not attend office since November 9 because of the agitation.
Now that the protest has been withdrawn, the VC will join work. “I am in Calcutta for official work. I will be joining office on Monday.”
The employees were also protesting the extension of Basumajumdar’s tenure by three months starting from January 1. They said he would resort to more irregularities if the term was extended. The VC was supposed to retire on December 31.
The three-member probe team headed by Sugata Marjit, the chairman of West Bengal Council for Higher Education, will be visiting NBU on the first week of January. “Two other members of the team are yet to be chosen,” said the VC.
Once in office, the VC said, he would start the process of forming the EC and the varsity court. “The first step after I join office will be to constitute the EC and varsity court. These are the two main decision-making bodies and they need to be constituted soon.”
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