With the Higher Education Department having failed to depute principals to the 662 brand Block Grant colleges, the principals-in-charge are enjoying virtually ‘absolute power’ and resorting to massive irregularities by brazen misuse of authority.
The principals-in-charge are the senior most lecturers in the colleges. Unlike the Government or aided colleges, they are not of a special cadre. They are supposed to run the administration in consultation with staff and the local Sub Collector, who is the president of the governing bodies of the college. However, since the Sub Collectors remain occupied with their prime responsibilities and do not have time to spare for these colleges, the principals have arrogated all powers and authority onto them and are functioning rudderless ignoring the staff.
They do not feel to be having any limitations on using the college funds. As per a report, lakhs of rupees are being misappropriated by these principals through false bills and tampering the accounts. They are also resorting to a tactic of intimidation and pressure so that nobody from the college lodges any complaint with the higher authorities or police.
“My principal is functioning like an autocrat. He is holding no staff meeting, nor does he take anybody into confidence in financial matter. He is falsely maintaining records and pressurizing us to sign on dotted line. Besides, he has made several appointments illegally without taking permission from the Sub Collector and has got huge money as bribe from each candidate. He is also increasing the college fees at his whim,” said an employee of a college in Dhenkanal district, requesting anonymity.
The complaints against the functioning of the principals are galore. It poured in from several districts across the State while the complainants were averse to or rather afraid of disclosing their identities. Many of them alleged that the Higher Education department was quite apathetic to the plight of the employees in these institutions. They demanded that either the heads of the college be replaced with more experienced staff from 488 brand or Government colleges or the Government should implement a rule of appointing heads on rotation basis so that each staff gets an opportunity to hold the post leaving no room for any single individual to run the college as his/her private property.
Sources said the Higher Education department has completely neglected in overseeing the affairs of these colleges which were taken over from private managements with sanction of Block Grant in 2009. After the private managements were dissolved, one among the teaching staff members was appointed as he principal on the basis of his/her seniority. Since then these principals have been looking after the administration of the colleges and amassing wealth by huge corruption as they are out of the scanner of their higher authorities.
“Several colleges after getting grant from the Government are running like autonomous institutions. The principals are acting as their sole owner and are making law as per their whims and caprices. The views of the local people are not heeded. Nor are the fellow colleagues matter much in their design to run the institutions,” alleged a former secretary of a governing body of a college in Angul district. He said that most colleges are being run in a commercial way resulting in steep rise in fees and demanded immediate intervention of the Government. He also demanded a vigilance probe into the financial status of the principals who have earned wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.
A retired reader rather held the Government responsible for the situation. He said that after including the 662 category colleges in the grant fold, the Government should have appointed regular principals by forming a cadre from experienced teachers from 488 or Government colleges. Strong administration is a need of hour to run these colleges smoothly, he said, adding that it is high time the Government should closely audit the funds of the colleges since it paid them grant and monitor the performance of the principals.