Times of India: New Delhi: Saturday, 19 July 2014.
UGC has set
up a four-member fact-finding committee to look into the allegations that Delhi
University had diverted funds for OBCs to buy laptops. DU in 2012 announced
that it would distribute laptops to students joining FYUP.
The
committee, to be headed by S Satyam, a retired bureaucrat, has been asked to
look into the manner in which DU had utilized the funds. The committee also
includes UGC and HRD ministry officials.
UGC's action
comes after DU authorities failed to give a satisfactory reply to the
commission's query in May. "DU did not address the questions we had
raised. The attempt is to brush it under the carpet," a UGC source said.
UGC officials
also point out that DU has not held meeting of its finance committee regularly.
HRD officials had earlier demanded statement of accounts from DU so that it can
be explained if expenditure was made under various budget heads.
In response
to two queries filed under the RTI Act, DU has said it has bought 62,600
laptops under "OBC grant for university departments" and "OBC
grant for colleges" for over Rs 100 crore. The RTIs were filed by
Democratic Teachers' Front and Raju Rawat, former joint secretary of DU
Students' Union. Both argue that funds meant for infrastructure development
following OBC expansion have been "diverted" to make.
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