Biratnagar: The Purbanchal University (PU) has remained shut for the past three weeks due to its padlocking by student unions affiliated to various political parties except UCPN (Maoist) and varsity lecturers.

The agitators were protesting recent appointment of the university registrar, saying that it breached past agreement reached with the lecturers four years ago. According to the agreement, the registrar will be picked from among PU employees.

However, Krishna Pandey, general secretary of the Lecturers' Association, said Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, also the chancellor of the university, appointed Niroj Pandey to the post of registrar on the recommendation of PU Vice-chancellor (VC) Maheshwor Man Shrestha. New registrar Pandey is a relative of UCPN (Maoist) leader Haribol Gajurel.

Meanwhile, a meeting between VC Shrestha and the agitating side ended inconclusively on Thursday. The agitating side said they would not withdraw their protests until VC Shrestha and newly appointed Pandey resigned.

Krishna Pandey said the meeting ended inconclusively after VC Shrestha clarified that he would not annul the appointment.

Shrestha said it was impossible to annul the appointment done by the government according to the PU Act.

source: The Kathmandu Post,21 Dec 2012