Governor's guidelines to VCs of state varsities trigger row in Bengal

Kolkata, April 7 (IANS) A fresh round of tussle between the state secretariat and Raj Bhavan has started snowballing in West Bengal over a fresh set of guidelines imposed on the vice-chancellors of state universities by the Governor's House.

The Raj Bhavan on Thursday issued a letter to all the vice-chancellors of state universities, directing them to take the concurrence of the Governor's House in all finance-related matters. The VCs have also been asked to submit a weekly report on the overall functioning of their respective universities.

On Friday, state Education Minister Bratya Basu questioned the legal validity of the guidelines issued by the Governor.

"I have asked the education secretary to seek legal advice on how far the letter from the Governor is legally valid," Basu said.

The minister also alleged that the letter was sent to the vice-chancellors keeping the education department in the dark.

Basu further questioned if the Raj Bhavan can directly send such instructions to the state universities by bypassing the state education department.

This is the second major tussle between the state secretariat and the Raj Bhavan. Earlier this year, the Governor's House had sought to replace the erstwhile principal secretary to the Governor, Nandini Chakaroborty. After initial hesitancy, the state government had replaced Chakroborty. However, the post vacated by her is still lying vacant as the Governor has not given concurrence to any of the three names suggested by the state secretariat as Chakroborty's replacement.

Recently, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose had issued strongly-worded statements against the state administration over the attack on the convoy of Union minister Nisith Pramanik at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district, as well as on the recent clashes over Ram Navami processions in the state.