Governor Syed Ahmed on Wednesday 'suspended' Vice Chancellor of Birsa Agriculture University MP Pandey after he found him prima facie guilty of committing various omissions and commissions and set up one-man judicial commission to probe into the complaints against him within three months.
Justice (Rtd) Vikramaditya Prasad will hold the probe into the charges leveled against Pandey, who is slated to retire in September.
“He will cease to discharge his duty till the Commission completes the probe. South Chotanagpur Divisional Commissioner KK Khandelwal has been given the additional charge of the Vice Chancellor,” said a communiqué issued by Raj Bhawan.
“For all practical purposes, Pandey has been suspended, but technically we cannot say so as there is a long procedure to suspend/remove a Vice Chancellor. But he will not be at the helms of affairs and hence influence the investigation till the Commission completes its job," said an official.
The Governor cum Chancellor's action has come close on the heels of dismissal of 53 employees, earlier illegally appointed by the university. The decision had been taken on the recommendations of the Judicial Commission headed by Justice (Rtd) Vikramaditya Prasad.
The Governor, in the meantime, also paved the way for filling up vacancies in various categories through Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Subordinate Service Commission after he lifted the ban on recruitment continuing for the last three years.
The embargo on recruitment had been slapped after it came to light that huge irregularities had been committed in appointments during the tenure of former VC N N Singh.
The litany of charges leveled against Pandey included misrepresentation of facts before the board of management regarding criteria laid for the personnel manning various Krishi Vigyan Kendras, favouritism by way of posting unqualified and junior persons on responsible posts surpassing qualified and more competent persons and suppression of financial irregularities in nature of spending internal receipts without budgeting and financial committee's approvals.
Pandey had also been found prima facie guilty of approving the underestimation value of 'rakt chandan' (sandalwood) logs. The market value of the said sandalwood logs was something around Rs 20 lakh while they were disposed for around Rs 30,000.
Earlier, the VC had been asked to explain the complaints lodged with Raj Bhawan but his replies were said to be not satisfactory.