Guwahati: Alleging financial anomaly in Tezpur University, its teachers' association on Wednesday claimed that the varsity management has not purchased a single Assamese books during the last two financial years, which is construed as "complete neglect" of the local language.
In a statement, Tezpur University Teachers' Association (TUTA) alleged that Vice Chancellor Sambhu Nath Singh has approved purchasing books only from a few select Delhi-based publishers, influencing the entire procuring process.
The association demanded a thorough probe into the alleged financial anomaly in the handling of public funds.
"It has come to light that during the financial year 2024-25, Tezpur University received a total allocation of Rs 6.5 crore under the UGC grant-in-aid for capital assets, meant for books and journals, ICT infrastructure, laboratories, campus development and other facilities," it added.
Out of this amount, Rs 5.72 crore was approved solely for the purchase of books and journals, and Rs 4.56 crore was spent under this head, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the total capital asset allocation.
"Despite this major expenditure, records show that no funds were utilised for Assamese books, even though a budget of Rs 2.91 lakh had been sanctioned for 146 books under the Department of Assamese," TUTA said.
It further claimed that during the two consecutive financial years of 2024-25 and 2025-26, not a single Assamese book has been procured by the University, despite substantial allocations and repeated appeals for inclusion of regional literature.
"This complete neglect of the Assamese language in book procurement raises serious questions about the priorities and intent of the University administration," the statement added.
Providing financial details of book procurement from different publishers, the TUTA statement claimed the figures showed that a significant portion of the University's capital asset fund has been directed to a select group of Delhi-based firms that do not supply Assamese books.
"In the procurement process, Vice Chancellor Prof Sambhu Nath Singh personally influenced the selection of these vendors, bypassing the wider pool of qualified firms empanelled under University norms.
"This deliberate restriction of suppliers not only raises questions of favouritism and conflict of interest, but also suggests a possible financial anomaly in the handling of public funds meant for educational development," it claimed.
The statement asserted that the final list of books to be procured was largely determined by the titles these vendors were able to supply.
"The absence of Assamese books for two consecutive years, despite a dedicated allocation, reflects a serious disregard for regional inclusion and linguistic representation, undermining the academic and cultural ethos of a central university situated in Assam," it added.
TUTA stressed that the matter warrants an independent and transparent investigation by competent authorities to ensure accountability and restore confidence in this central university's procurement and governance processes.
The situation in the university had been tense since mid-September, with students accusing VC Shambhu Nath Singh and varsity authorities of not showing due respect to cultural icon Zubeen Garg when the state was mourning his death.
The university had witnessed a heated exchange of words between the VC and students on September 22, leading to a situation where Singh had to nearly flee from the spot.
TUTA along with the student fraternity and the non-teaching staff has been spearheading the protest.
The Sonitpur district administration later ordered a magisterial probe against the University authorities for allegedly disrespecting Garg.
A fact-finding committee, formed by the Assam Governor to look into allegations concerning the functioning of the Vice Chancellor, later visited the varsity to enquire into the matter.
Earlier this week, TUTA, the Tezpur University Non-Teaching Employees' Association and the student community jointly organised a procession against the alleged deforestation and ecological destruction carried out under Singh's administration.
Singh has allegedly ordered felling of several important trees and bamboo patches, including yellow bamboo -- an essential part of the campus landscape, under the guise of 'beautification'.
He also initiated extensive grass planting activities across the campus, which many members of the university community have criticised as environmentally unsound and superficial, especially in a tropical region like Northeast India.
Responding to the protests and allegations, Singh had in a statement said that a few individuals may have, perhaps unintentionally, misrepresented certain facts and diverted attention from the real issues at hand.
"I remain fully open to sincere and respectful dialogue with all stakeholders to address and resolve the challenges faced by our university community... I would always choose forgiveness over resentment, as it represents the stronger and more meaningful path," he had added.
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