The Tribune: Chandigarh: Monday, December 11, 2017.
Prof Pam Rajput,
fellow, broke down today during discussions in the Syndicate meeting over
allegations of misappropriation of books of the Centre for Women Studies
against her.
Prof Rajesh
Gill, fellow and president of Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA), had
levelled allegations against her and wrote a letter to Chancellor M Venkaiah
Naidu on October 23. After that the matter was brought before the Syndicate
today.
According to
documents attached in the agenda item, the books, periodicals, journals, which were
pending against Prof Pam Rajput, are worth of just over Rs 5,000.
The
Syndicate, which is the governing body of the PU, dismissed Prof Gill’s
allegations today.
Prof Rajput
said she did not take any money from the university other than for teaching. It
also came out that she had donated Rs 1 lakh for buying books and had been
funding two scholarships, one in political science and the other in women
studies.
Senator
Rabindernath Sharma said the issue should not have been brought in the agenda
and the PU authorities should have resolved it at their level.
It was also
mentioned that the PUTA president had been in habit of making false allegations
against those who oppose her agendas in the Syndicate and the Senate.
Prof Gill had
said as per the information obtained through the RTI Act, 2005, there were a
large number of books, periodicals, journals, magazines, numbering around 54,
pending in Prof Rajput’s name since 1988, when she was the Director, Centre for
Women’s Studies.
She had also
complained that Prof Rajput had been nominated as a member of a committee, in a
special Syndicate meeting dated October 7, formed by Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar
Grover, to examine the issue arising out of a complaint made by her on the
basis of a CIC order dated September 4. She had complained that the letter
dated January 20, 2016, from the VP office regarding a sexual harassment case
was fraudulently obtained.
This letter
dated January 20, 2016, had settled that the Senate, which is a governing body
of the PU, was supreme and employer too in regard of the Sexual Harassment of
Women at Workplace Act, 2013, and could form any committee to inquire into
allegations against the VC.
On today’s
Syndicate decision, Prof Gill said: “Her pension was delayed as books were
missing. Proper procedure for writing off the books was not followed. Without
getting ‘no dues’ from her, she has been given pension.”
Resolution
for webcasting of Syndicate, Senate meetings not approved
A PUTA
resolution for webcasting of meetings of the Syndicate, Senate and Board of
Finance was not approved in today’s Syndicate meeting. PUTA president Prof
Rajesh Gill said: “When proceedings of the Lok Sabha can be telecast why can’t
the PU webcast the proceedings. There should be transparency.”
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