Stop AAP government from retracting funds, DU in 'acute financial crisis': BJP to Lt Gov

The Delhi BJP Tuesday urged Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to direct the AAP government to withdraw its direction to stop funds to 28 Delhi University colleges, fully or partly funded by it, until governing bodies are formed.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said it is unfortunate that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia directed the higher education secretary to stop funds to these colleges. "The undemocratic and untimely move of the Delhi government is causing grave financial crisis amongst the teaching, non-teaching staff and students of these colleges for no fault of theirs," he said.

Gupta said that teaching, non-teaching staff and students must not be used by the Delhi government for advancing political purposes.

Gupta said he along with a delegation of National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) will soon call on the LG to impress upon him the need for his early intervention in the matter.

"The Kejriwal government cannot blame the Delhi University for not constituting the Governing Bodies in these colleges. It is the Delhi Government which is using delaying tactics and not sending names of 10-12 GB members as needed for constitution of GBs," he alleged.

He said that GBs exist in colleges and that too with required quorum but the Delhi government has to nominate members, for which the Delhi University is waiting.

No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi government.

Delhi Education Minister Sisodia had written to the varsity's vice-chancellor in April, saying the university had not constituted governing bodies in the 28 DU colleges and no funds would be released till they are constituted.

On April 23, the varsity wrote to the Directorate of Higher Education asking it to finalise the names to be nominated for the governing bodies of colleges.

In response to the varsity's letter, Sisodia said the university should have sent about 400 names to the panel instead of 188 so that there are sufficient choices and had asked whether the 188 names sent by it for nominations to

the governing bodies of 28 colleges were cleared by the varsity's executive council.

He said the varsity should extend the term of existing governing bodies.

Twelve colleges of the varsity including the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College and the Maharaja Agrasen College are fully-funded by the Delhi government.