Now, Chandigarh Administration says ‘no’ to Senate poll

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16

The UT Administration today advised Panjab University not to go ahead with the Senate elections, after the Chandigarh police and the Health Department recommended the same. In a letter to the officiating Registrar-cum-returning officer of the PU on Friday, the UT Administration, citing reports from the Senior Superintendent of Police, has said: “As the Covid-19 situation in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Maharashtra is at its peak and the member of faculties belonging to these states will arrive in Chandigarh to cast their vote on the PU campus, the possibility of spread the virus in Chandigarh cannot be ruled out. It is, therefore, recommended that permission may not be granted to the PU authorities to conduct the Senate Election-2020.”

‘No merit in election deferment’

“There is no merit in postponing the elections any longer. While observing the norms of social distancing, wearing masks and regular sanitisation, Senate Elections 2020 can be conducted with safety and caution. The number of voters in these elections, across separate constituencies, is not staggeringly large, says Senator Ashok Goyal

An official statement from the PU spokesperson reads: “As informed by Vikram Nayyar, FDO and officiating Registrar, the UT Administration has advised the PU to not go ahead with the Senate elections for the time being, keeping in view the Covid-19 situation.”

Meanwhile, the Senators have written to the UT Administrator, VP Singh Badnore, the VC is trying to scuttle the democratic system of governance in the university.

“The Vice-Chancellor is deliberately trying to scuttle the democratic system of governance in the university. There is no reason that the Vice-Chancellor should involve your office in the matter. In the University Calendar, there is no provision that mandates your office to have any role in the decision on holding the Senate elections. By involving the UT Administration in the matter, the VC is abdicating his own responsibility so that in case of any backlash, legal or popular, he may hold the UT Administration responsible for the postponement. It was two months after the Senate polls of Panjab University were postponed for the first time, the varsity on Thursday again decided to defer the elections further. The elections were scheduled to start on August 24.

The Senate is a 91-member apex governing body of the PU. Thirtysix members are nominated by the Vice-President of India, who is also the Chancellor of the university. The four-year term of the present Senate ends on October 31.