Visva-Bharati dismisses professor before lien is over

SANTINIKETAN: Visva-Bharati assistant professor and Trinamool MP from Bolpur Anupam Hazra was taken aback when the social work department refused to allow him to resume his academic duties after attending Parliament session on Monday. Hazra has been working at Visva-Bharati on lien that expires on December 2015.
But the university authorities struck off his name from the rolls even before the completion his lien.Acting registrar M M Mitra issued a notice on June 2, stating, “Hazra’s name will cease to be borne on the rolls of Visva-Bharati with immediate effect.”
Soon after being elected an MP, Hazra took extraordinary leave from Visva-Bharati twice, the last being till June 1. Extraordinary leaves to employees on lien were granted when the university made an exception for them, said an insider.
Soon after receiving the acting registrar’s notice, the Trinamool MP informed the ministry of human resources and development about it, stating that he joined Visva Bharati on May 26, before his extraordinary leaves were over. Based on Hazra’s letter, ministry official Suresh Singh wrote to Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor, citing the relevant clause for MPs attached to academic institutions and urged the university to take appropriate action on Hazra’s plea. The Trinamool MP showed the ministry’s letter, requesting the university to let him resume his duties.
“How can the university strike my name off the rolls when I joined on May 26, five days before my sanctioned extraordinary leave till June 1 was over? I have relevant documents to support my claim. The university is suppressing facts. I will go to the MHRD again,” Hazra said. Calling the notice illegal, Hazra accused the university of taking a biased stand. “This is illegal. The university is trying to take revenge on me because I had raised voice against some irregularities,” he claimed.
Visva-Bharati has its own arguments, too. “Hazra is not a permanent employee of the university. He had come from Assam University, Silchar on lien. He was granted extraordinary leave on two occasions within his lien period. He didn’t report to work after his extraordinary leave period was over on June 1. This prompted the university to conclude that the teacher has returned to the university he came from,” a Visva-Bharati official said.
The official denied Hazra’s claim of joining the university on May 26. “The MHRD cannot instruct the university to take him back. We’ll soon write to the ministry, explaining the university views.”