SFI demands probe into alleged financial irregularities at Gauhati University

Guwahati, Apr 2: The Assam State Committee of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) has strongly condemned the alleged financial irregularities that surfaced regarding a special grant provided by the Assam government to Gauhati University over the years.

The name of the university's vice chancellor, Dr Nani Gopal Mahanta, has also been linked to these discrepancies, prompting demand from the students' body for an immediate investigation over the issue.

The state unit of the SFI has also demanded the immediate intervention of the governor of Assam, who is also the chancellor of Gauhati University, and called for a high-level investigation to ensure transparency and accountability in the handling of university funds.

"The South East Asian Study Centre, which operates under the Department of Political Science at Gauhati University, has been receiving an annual grant of Rs 1 crore from the Assam government.

However, it is alleged that these funds have been mismanaged, bypassing the university's financial guidelines. Several quarters within the university suggest that significant financial misconduct has taken place through these irregular transactions," the SFI stated.

Concerned over the alleged financial mismanagement way back to 2016-17, when the university's audit department reportedly flagged questionable financial practices that could jeopardise the institution's financial stability, the SFI alleged, "No action was taken, allegedly due to internal collusion." The recent findings have revealed details of how these irregularities were carried out, it said.

In 2016-17, the Assam government sanctioned Rs 1 crore (Sanction No. PMA(H) 168/2016/32, dated March 7, 2017) to the South East Asian Study Centre under Head No. 765(i). The amount was received by Gauhati University on March 31, 2017, as per Receipt No. 8557. However, instead of depositing the funds in the designated project account, the money was allegedly transferred to the university's Examination Account (A/C No. 10243124298). This diversion has raised serious concerns, as examination accounts are not subjected to audits, allowing transactions to remain undisclosed.

The SFI added that further scrutiny has revealed that on October 23, 2017, Rs 1 crore was transferred from Gauhati University's corpus fund to the South East Asian Study Centre. However, there is no record of the original Rs 1 crore being transferred from the examination account to the corpus fund. This has led to suspicions about whether the money was actually moved or if funds from the corpus fund were used instead, raising concerns about financial mismanagement. Since the examination account is not audited, critics believe this loophole may have been exploited for fraudulent activities, the SFI alleged.

Another major allegation is that government grants were deposited in a current account instead of a savings account. As project and corpus fund accounts are typically savings accounts, placing the grant in a current account is considered financially imprudent, leading to potential losses for the university. This violation of standard accounting norms has added to the growing list of concerns surrounding the financial handling of these grants.

"With similar irregularities suspected in subsequent years, the controversy has escalated into a full-blown scandal. As Dr Nani Gopal Mahanta is linked to the matter in his capacity as the director of the South East Asian Study Centre, there are growing calls for him to provide a clear explanation regarding these financial transactions," state SFI president Harshajit Das stated.

SFI leaders Harshajit Das and Sangita Das asserted that financial misconduct cannot be allowed to continue unchecked in one of Assam's premier educational institutions. They emphasised that an impartial probe is necessary to uncover the truth and take appropriate action against those responsible.

Staff Reporter