Last Updated on May 14, 2022 at 7:31 pm
Efforts of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to streamline functioning of the University of Jammu are getting derailed not only due to half-hearted approach of the university administration but also by the Finance Department of the J&K UT that has failed to implement directives of the Raj Bhavan on various issues pertaining to the university.
The Codes section of the finance department has reportedly been functioning as a ‘super boss’ by putting aside directions issued by the Raj Bhavan on long standing grievances of employees.
The finance secretary of Jammu and Kashmir is financial advisor of the university but generally issues pertaining to the university are handled by the Codes section.
The blue-eyed boy culture has plunged the university into a mess as successive vice-chancellors are accused of having thrown the statues to the winds to please their coterie by granting special pay scales that were neither recommended by the UGC or any other body. Under the pressure of their coteries, successive VC’s granted UGC recommended career advancement scheme on pick and chose basis while genuine staff members were left out.
The step of LG Manoj Sinha to remove the anomalies and streamline things was welcomed by the university staff, but the Codes section to which the university administration pushes most files has virtually refused to implement the LG’s directions.
Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat through a communication vide No. LGS/ 16/JU/2021/1207 dated: 02-03-2022, directed the university of Jammu to ensure strict observance of the UGC Guidelines/Regulations while making recruitments/promotions and implementation of various programmes. But the Codes division of Finance dept. of J&K Govt. has overlooked the directions of Raj Bhavan while considering the career advancement of various officers and staff of the University.
The Finance Secretary of the J&K Govt, who is also the Financial advisor of the University, vide communication No. FA/Uni./ Adoption/PayScale/ JU/2417/343, dated 01-08-2018 had strictly instructed the Jammu University to follow MHRD guidelines for Assistant Registrars & equivalents of the University while implementing the career advancement scheme for the officers. However, the scheme has been implemented on pick and chose basis instead of covering all those sections of employees pointed out by the UGC.
The University has completely surrendered it’s autonomy and has been forwarding all the files to the Finance department, even which are not pertaining to it.
The then education minister, Naeem Akhter, had also reiterated that complete autonomy has been granted to the Universities of J&K. However, there were complaints that the university administration continues to forward files pertaining to even petty matters to finance department where these remain dumped for long until the aggrieved employee personally follows it.
In a meeting of teachers and officers convened by the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu, Prof. Umesh Rai, a senior teacher pointed out that she had to track her file through RTI.
In an another instance, few blue eyed boys of the University of Jammu were given Career progression vide no. FA/Uni/Adoption/pay scale/ JU/ 2017/175 dated 23-03-2017. In this case concurrence was given by the office of financial advisor after the recommendation by a committee of Jammu University. These employees do not have any Career progression scheme either in the J&K government or in the UGC. In other cases the positive recommendations of the University for the employees who have their complete scheme in UGC were forwarded to the J&K govt departments for further advise by the Codes section that completely ignored the directions of the Raj Bhavan to adopt UGC scales.
The financial advisor, J&K Universities, in a letter vide no. FAU/Promotion/isolated posts/JU/2015/314 Dated 06-04-2018, to the Registrar, University of Jammu, had categorically instructed to adopt uniform pattern, once and for all, for all Non-teaching positions. But the yard stick changed for blue eyed boys of the University who were given two promotions in ten years without having any career advancement scheme in the J&K govt or UGC.
Employees are hoping that the recent change in the Jammu University as well as UT administration will bring some positive changes. The university employees, officers and teaching staff have pinned hopes on the new Principal Secretary higher education, Mr. Rohit Kansal, New VC Jammu University Prof. Umesh Rai, new Financial advisor J&K Universities Mr. Vivek Bhardwaj. They have expressed hope that the new set up would exercise autonomy of the university and come out of the clutches of the Codes section of the finance department that has reportedly adopted negative attitude on various issues.
