MDU faces financial losses running into crores: CAG

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, March 23

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the performance audit of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, has indicated glaring lapses and irregularities on part of the university administration in matters pertaining to academics, research, financial management and utilisation of available infrastructure and facilities.

The report underlines instances of financial losses worth crores caused due to over-payment and mismanagement of surplus funds, non-receipt of Central grants and avoidable payment of service tax, besides incomplete research projects, vacant teaching posts and a sharp decline in the pass percentage of students.

“The performance audit brought out lack of planning, deficiencies in financial management, non-enforcement of infrastructure and academic standards in affiliated colleges, manpower and infrastructure deficiencies in the classes, which impaired the ability of the university to achieve its overall objectives,” the report points out.

The report states that the Academic Planning Board for the preparation of short-term and long-term development plans has not been constituted. Besides, the overall pass percentage of students declined from 55 per cent in 2012-13 to 41 per cent in 2015-16. The placements of students at the (UIET) and the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management were also poor.

An expenditure of Rs 10.98 crore incurred on the establishment of Ch Ranbir Singh Social and Economic Change was rendered unfruitful because of non-fulfillment of its objectives. Dr BK Punia, VC, said most of the inadequacies mentioned in the CAG report pertained to the time before the beginning of his tenure, adding that the aspects pertaining to his tenure were being taken care of.

He said the Academic Planning Board had been constituted and fother deficiencies would also be met, he added.

The irregularities 

• Non-investment of surplus funds in fixed deposits resulted in loss of interest of Rs 51.71 lakh. Temporary advances of Rs 11.18 crore were lying unadjusted
• Computerisation work was not allotted in a transparent manner. A payment of Rs 26.31 crore was made to NYSA Communications in excess of the contract agreement
• As many as 18 to 26 regular teaching posts and 52 to 55 teaching posts under the self-financing scheme are lying vacant
• Of 92 research projects, only 37 were completed, and of the incomplete projects, 21 have crossed their date of completion