5 MANIT employees get the sack

BHOPAL: Board of governors (BoG), highest decision making body in Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), terminated five employees on Wednesday after ten years of appointment on the grounds that they were recruited without following proper norms. In last BoG on March 5, 2015, termination of these five employees was recommended, which was later withdrawn by director Appu Kuttan on March 10.
Terminated employees are associate professor Abhay Sharma, training and placement officer Aruna Saxena, assistant professor Kavita Dehalwar, assistant professor Anhsu Gupta and assistant librarian Archana Saxena. Ministry of Human resource development had recommended termination of 65 employees including the five in 2010, who were recruited in 2005.
Confirming termination, Kuttan said, “BoG has stated their termination will be according to last meeting. I will go by order of BoG.”
Termination of these employees was recommended by the Justice Lodha Committee. The committee was formed to probe 2005 recruitment. BoG took decision on basis of that report. Sources said Kuttan withdrew termination of five employees when teaching faculty mounted pressure. Director in his letter had clearly mentioned that he withdrew the termination done by BoG after request from terminated five employees duly signed by other teaching faculty.
Issue of five employees came to light when HRD ministry appointed MN Buch committee to probe alleged irregularities and violation of rules in appointment of assistant professors, lecturers, training and placement officers in 2005. On recommendation of Buch committee, HRD ministry directed then chairman of MANIT to get matter further investigated.
Later, a three-member committee was appointed under chairmanship of SM Shukla, which recommended further investigations into matter which was referred to the CBI. Thereafter, BoG in its 22nd meeting on August 5, 2010 had appointed a judicial inquiry committee to look into the matter. BoG in its next meeting on November 14, 2011 reconstituted judicial inquiry committee and appointed Justice SH Lodha and RK Tripathi as its members. The Lodha committee after making thorough investigation submitted detailed report to the BoG on April 19, 2011. The committee found that scrutiny and selection procedure was not in accordance with the law, prevailing rules and AICTE norms and recruitment deserves to be quashed.