Bihar Raj Bhavan Instructs Banks to Unfreeze Accounts of State Universities

Patna: The Bihar Raj Bhavan has issued a directive to banks to overturn an order from the education department that had resulted in the freezing of accounts belonging to state-run universities, with one exception. This move follows the Bihar government's decision to freeze the bank accounts of all state-run universities, except one, and withhold the salaries of their vice-chancellors for allegedly failing to attend a recent review meeting convened by the education department.

The tension between the Raj Bhavan and the education department appears to have escalated, with authorities filing police complaints against the vice-chancellors of the universities who did not attend the department's review meeting held in the last week of February.

Robert L Chongthu, the principal secretary to the governor who also serves as the chancellor of state universities, sent a letter directing banks to immediately unfreeze the accounts of the universities. The letter from the Raj Bhavan, a copy of which is with PTI, stated that the governor has ordered the withdrawal of the education department's order.

The education department had sent a letter to all vice-chancellors, except the vice-chancellor of Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, seeking an explanation for their absence from the meeting to discuss pending examinations and other issues. The letter warned that if satisfactory responses were not received within two days, FIRs would be filed against the university authorities, salaries of the vice-chancellors would be withheld, and banks were instructed not to operate any university account until further notice.

Education Secretary Baidyanath Yadav's letter, which was also sent to examination controllers of all universities, except Magadh University and Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the vice-chancellors' absence at the review meeting, stating that they had failed to fulfill their duties as public servants.

In the meantime, Darbhanga District Education Officer Samar Bahadur Singh submitted a request to the University Police station, seeking to file a police complaint against the vice-chancellor of Lalit Narayan Mithila University, the examination controller, and other officials for failing to attend the recent meeting convened by the education department.

Similarly, Anil Kumar, Deputy Director, Education (Koshi division, Sharsha), filed a complaint with Sadar Police Station (Madhepura) on Sunday, seeking to register a police complaint against the vice-chancellor and examination controller of B N Mandal University for their absence at the meeting.

Despite several attempts, Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary could not be reached for comment on the issue.