VTU recruitment interviews suspended for seven days

The  State government on Wednesday said that it will suspend all interviews pertaining to the appointment of 168 professors, assistant professors and lecturers at Visveswaraya Technological University (VTU) for seven days from Wednesday.

An explanation will be sought from the executive council of the university in regard to allegations of serious corruption charges against vice chancellor H Maheshappa pertaining to recruitments, Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

The minister said the decision to postpone the interviews, however, has been taken in the light of the 371-J special status being accorded to the six districts of Hyderabad-Karnataka.

 However, when some members alleged corruption in recruitments to the 168 posts and sought a probe, Deshpande said the government did not have the authority for holding an inquiry into the charges of corruption against the university.

However, considering the concerns raised in the House, the government will seek an explanation from the executive council, he added.

Opposition members accused Dr Maheshappa of corruption in appointment of teaching staff.

K V Narayanaswamy (JD-S) said that as many as four agents were employed for collecting bribes of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 35 lakh from candidates who had applied for the posts of professor and principals in various engineering colleges.

The agents, as named by Narayanswamy, are: Yogananda (former Special Officer, Bangalore University), Ramesh Gowda (former Special Officer, Mysore University), D H Rao, principal, Jain College of Engineering.

He named the fourth person as Bellary. The MLC claimed that as many as 250 interviews were conducted on a single day for various posts. 

 A H Shivayogi Swamy (BJP) alleged that in UBDT College in Davangere, the V-C had directed a candidate to meet an agent who demanded Rs 15 lakh as bribe for appointment as assistant professor.

Violation

“First and foremost, the appointment of Dr Maheshappa itself was in violation of rules as the search committee added his name as the fourth one.

“The three names which were initially suggested by the committee were that of Prof M  S Shivakumar, Prof Nagabhushan and Prof Venugopal. Section 13 (2) of the VTU Actstates that the search committee can recommend only three names. How did they include the fourth name?” Swamy said.

‘How did Maheshappa get extension?’

M C Nanaiah (JD-S) questioned how the tenure of VTU Vice-Chancellor, H Maheshappa was extended by an year by Governor H R Bhardwaj after he himself had appointed a retired judge to investigate the charges of falsifying documents against the  V-C two years ago.

“It is still not known as to what is the content of this one-man commission headed by Justice Abhay Goel from Madhya Pradesh. While the government has admitted that there is no record of this Committee’s report, it is questionable as to how pertinent it is to extend the V-C’s tenure,” said Nanaiah.

Puttanna (JD-S) claimed that there were several agents who were working within the Chancellor’s office and that a proper inquiry should be conducted into the cases of corruption at the VTU.