KSOU overrules Guv's directive; prevents officer from taking charge

In a direct violation of an order by Governor Vajubhai Vala, Qadar Pasha, Joint Controller, State Accounts Department, who was appointed as Finance Officer (FO) of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), was prevented from taking charge, here on Monday.

This is the second time in the past nine months that the said official has been prevented from assuming office. Pasha, who was Deputy Controller, was promoted as Joint Controller and appointed as the FO of KSOU for the second time, on February 26, by the Governor.
The appointment was approved by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Pasha, who arrived at KSOU to assume charge, was prevented from doing so, with the varsity Vice Chancellor M G Krishnan sending him away by furnishing an endorsement stating that the current FO, Prof Rajashekaraiah, would be continued, as per the directives of Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande.

KSOU, had not allowed the officer to report to duty in a similar fashion during his earlier appointment on June 26, 2014. That time too, the varsity had cited that Pasha could not assume charge as Deshpande had overruled the decision.

Interference

Sources maintain that the cancellation of the appointment by Deshpande was owing to the “interference” of his cabinet colleague, Revenue and Mysuru District in-charge Minister V Sreenivas Prasad.

When contacted by Deccan Herald, Qadar Pasha said that he was meted with “rude” behaviour by Krishnan, on Monday.

“This time too, I was asked to come back later in the day, when I reported to duty. When I returned in the afternoon, I was made to wait for over one and a half hours, following which the VC very rudely told me that he could not accommodate me, as the government had not consulted the varsity. But in the endorsement furnished to me, it states that the cancellation has been on the behest of Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande,” he said, adding that he was appointed as FO on insistence of the Governor’s office.

Pasha said that he would submit the endorsement to both the Governor’s office, and Principal Secretary, Finance.

Not qualified

Rajashekaraiah is a Kannada professor at the varsity and is learnt to have no qualification to head the Finance department, which handles a budget of Rs 50 crore to 60 crore annually. He happens to be related to Srinivas Prasad.

Rajashekaraiah, was made FO in the year 2013, despite the government having appointed another regular FO (Sangeetha Gajanan Bhat) on July 23, 2013, whose appointment too was cancelled in a similar fashion.
Linguistics connection
Following the voluntary resignation of a regular FO in 2011, the KSOU has appointed only linguistic and political science professors as FO. It first appointed Sanskrit professor Dr Radhakrishna, followed by Political Science professor T D Deve Gowda, Urdu professor Jahanara Begum and Rajashekaraiah.
All these appointments were made when the said professors were on the verge of their retirement.
Despite several attempts made by this newspaper, Krishnan was not available for comment.
DH News Service