Kolkata: A day after expressing his dismay over not being kept in the loop about the convocation of the ‘Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University’, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar slapped a show cause notice Thursday on the Vice-Chancellor, describing it as ‘setting the process’ for consideration of his removal.
Vice-Chancellor Debkumar Mukhopadhyay has been asked to respond to the notice within 14 days, the Governor said in a tweet.
“Notice u/s 9 of Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University Act has been issued to VC Debkumar Mukhopadhyay – thus setting process for consideration of his removal from the office of VC. His response u/s section 9(7) of Act has been sought within 14 days and he may avail oral hearing,” Dhankhar’s post on his twitter handle said.
The government had in a tweet pointed out that though four West Bengal ministers have been invited for the convocation scheduled for Friday, he has ‘just no information’, despite being the Chancellor, Dhankar later told reporters. “Where are we heading!” Dhankhar wondered in another tweet.
Ever since he arrived in the state late last July to take over the gubernatorial responsibility, Dhankhar has got into a series of confrontations with the Mamata Banerjee-led government on issues like law and order, education, health and other legislative and administrative matters. He has repeatedly complained that the government including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not shown him due courtesy.
Protesters prevented Dhankhar from attending the convocation of Jadavpur University. He was also forced to leave the venue of the Calcutta University convocation even before the start of the programme due to intense student protest.
In December last, the Mamata Banerjee-led government framed new rules curtailing the Governor’s power as Chancellor of state universities. The fresh rules have reduced the chancellor’s role in choosing Vice-Chancellors and taken away his power to convene meeting of the highest bodies of the universities, or take action against Vice-Chancellors.
IANS