The Mumbai University and College Teachers' Association (MUCTA) has demanded an audit of Mumbai University's financial transactions by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
In a letter dated December 12 to the CAG, New Delhi, MUCTA pointed out that the audit of Mumbai University was conducted in 2017. After that, no audit was conducted for the last six years. This raises serious questions about transparency and accountability of funds within the university's financial and administrative operations, the letter added.
Contents of the letter
"The absence of regular audits creates an environment of mismanagement, irregularities, and misuse of public funds. It also denies stakeholders, including students, faculty, and the public, valuable insights into the university's financial health and governance practices. Considering the vital role Mumbai University plays in the educational landscape of India, it is imperative to ensure its financial and administrative practices are conducted with utmost transparency and accountability."
"Therefore, we urge you to take immediate action and initiate a comprehensive audit of Mumbai University. We further request compliance with the last audit report since many discrepancies were pointed out in that report. The audit report obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) has revealed many shocking facts," MUCTA General Secretary Dr. Subhash Athvale mentioned in a letter to CAG.
"No account for millions of Rupees"
A senior official "violated government rules and bought a car worth over Rs. 30 lakh for himself when he was the then pro-vice-chancellor. The state government had appointed a committee to inquire into alleged irregularities. But the matter did not progress further," the letter added.
"There had been no account of millions of rupees. Advances were paid to many people/companies, but neither work was carried out nor the money was refunded. There had also been irregularities in the construction work of the university, including cost escalation. Besides, the advances were given to certain favoured companies. There had been irregularities in the work of the university's purchase committee as well. Earlier, the CAG had asked for a compliance report on this, but the university did not submit the same," the letter claimed.
"The fees collected from the students are the only source of income for the university. It is the public's money. As such, it is essential that the audit of the university's transactions is carried out. The government can also call for information from the previous inquiry committee. Or else, the government should honour Dr. Kulkarni and exonerate him," Dr. Athvale added. The university did not respond to messages.
