The Ministry of Education is likely to appoint a new official in the vacant position of Vice Chancellor of Pokhara University tomorrow to regularise academic and administrative activities.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had detained and chargesheeted 23 officials of PU including its Vice-chancellor Khagendra Prasad Bhattarai at the Special Court for their alleged involvement in misappropriating and embezzling varsity funds.

Meanwhile, the arrest of office bearers has put lower level university employees and teachers in a dilemma. The absence of officials has halted works, including internal examinations at the varsity and its constituent campuses, scholarship distribution, and payment to contractors, according to PU staff.

Education secretary Bishwo Prakash Pandit said, “We are in the final stage of appointing officials in vacant posts of PU.”

He informed that the decision will be taken once Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who is Chancellor of PU and Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav, who is Co-chancellor take a final decision.

“We might give appointment letter to the new officials tomorrow if the decision from PM and education minister comes to the ministry by tomorrow,” he said.

He further said that if the detained officials get clean chit during investigation, they can return to their office to carry out their previous duties and responsibilities.

11-student unions aligned to various political parties such as Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and others have already met with PM Koirala, Constituent Assembly Chair Subas Chandra Nembang and CPN-UML chairperson K P Oli urging them to sort out the anomalies in the varsity.

They are planning to meet with leaders from other political parties too.

source: the himalayan times,5 Nov 2014