Patna: Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday took strong exception to the state education department’s order stopping the salary of the in-charge vice-chancellor (VC) and pro-VC of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur) and freezing its bank accounts.

The Raj Bhavan asked the department to withdraw its Thursday order, calling it an attack on the university’s autonomy. It also wrote to the banks not to freeze bank accounts of the university till further communication.

“The act is arbitrary and beyond jurisdiction. It seems to be an attack on autonomy of the university and you have encroached upon the powers of the chancellor,” Robert L Chongthu, principal secretary to the governor, wrote in a letter to the education department’s secretary. “I am directed to convey that the above-mentioned orders may be withdrawn and these types of unwarranted acts may be avoided in future.”

The letter, seen by HT, further stated that the state government, under Section 54 of the Bihar State Universities Act, 1976 has the power to audit universities, but it could not freeze their financial powers and bank accounts.

Chongthu also wrote to the banks not to implement the education department’s order to freeze the accounts of the university till further communication from the Raj Bhavan.

Veer Kunwar Singh University (Ara) VC Shailendra Kumar Chaturvedi holds the additional charge of BR Ambedkar Bihar University since March this year. Ravindra Kumar is the pro-VC of the Muzaffarpur-based university.

On Thursday, the education department issued the order, hours after both did not turn up for the pre-scheduled review meeting called by the additional chief secretary (ASC) (education), KK Pathak.

In the order issued by education secretary Baidyanath Yadav, he said that due to their absence, the pre-scheduled meeting to review exam backlog and other issues could not be completed.

“There was no information about the steps taken to clear the backlog of exams and streamline sessions, as per the gazette notification. The meeting was called for an overall review, but in the absence of VC and pro-VC, it could not be completed,” the order from the education department read. “The PowerPoint presentation sent by the university reflects that there has been no inspection of universities and colleges under it.”

Yadav further wrote that the department has decided to get the financial audit of the university done.

“Under these circumstances, the operation of its bank accounts has been withheld and till further orders, the salary of both in-charge VC and pro-VC is stopped. They are also restrained from exercising their financial powers,” said the order, a copy of which has been sent to the district magistrate-cum-treasury officer, registrars, and financial advisors of the concerned universities.

Raj Bhawan had given an additional charge of BR Ambedkar Bihar University to Chaturvedi in March after the term of Hanuman Prasad Pandey ended. However, it was a purely temporary arrangement and Chaturvedi was directed not to take any policy decision without the approval of the chancellor.

Meanwhile, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association of Bihar (FUTAB) has criticised the education department’s order saying that the salary and pension payment in the universities is stuck for three months and the department should first look into it. It is merely a tactic to embarrass the person holding the highest academic position, it said.

“Stopping the salary of a VC is not in the domain of the ACS [additional chief secretary]. If the ACS calls a meeting of the VCs, that is also against the protocol. If the ACS has any issue, he can only recommend it to the chancellor through the education minister. VCs are answerable to the chancellor. We have also apprised the governor regarding this,” said FUTAB working president KB Sinha.

Maintaining that the education department officials are deliberately transgressing the autonomy of universities for publicity despite chancellor’s expressed views on this, FUTAB wrote that VCs being summoned by an official was highly objectionable.

“If the VCs do not respond, the department cannot force them. A VC can be called by only three authorities – chancellor, chief minister and education minister. This is high time the chief minister and chancellor finally draw the line of demarcation between the chancellor’s office and the state education department,” FUTAB general secretary Sanjay Kumar said.