KLE drew govt salary even after private university status

A top educational group allegedly drew salaries for its staff from the government to the tune of nearly Rs 100 crore for eight years after becoming a private university. The BV Bhoomareddi (BVB) College of Engineering and Technology in Hubballi was an aided institute before it became the KLE Technological University in 2015-16. Even after going out of the government purview, the institute is said to have drawn salaries for its staff as recently as the 2022-23 academic year.

BJP leader Prabhakar Kore, a former Rajya Sabha member, is the chancellor of the KLE Technological University and chairperson of the Karnatak Lingayat Education Society.

Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar has directed officials to examine the matter further. In April this fiscal, the government stopped salary grants for the institute after receiving an anonymous complaint and based on objections raised by some officials in the higher education department.

Speaking to DH, Sudhakar pointed out that the government had stated clearly that admissions should not happen at the BVB institute after it was accorded the status of a private university.

“We do not know for what reason it was continued. It was a mistake from both sides — our department and the institute. Further action will be initiated,” the minister said.

University officials, however, said it was the government that allotted seats through the Common Entrance Test (CET) every year.

“It’s not that we just got grants. We’ve given 240 seats to the government allotted through CET for much lower fees,” KLE Technological University Vice-Chancellor Ashok Shettar said. “Moreover, the payment made by the government was directly to the aided staff and not to the institute,” he said. 

The university has requested the government to continue the grant-in-aid “in the interest of students”. Officials in the higher education department told DH that the government is planning to issue notice to the institute to recover salaries paid since 2015-16. There are plans to order an inquiry against the officials involved in preparing the seat matrix for engineering courses and release of salary grants.