Bhubaneswar: The controversy at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology has taken a new turn with Vice-Chancellor Surendra Nath Pasupalak not going on leave even after Governor and university chancellor Prof Ganeshi Lal sent him on one with immediate effect a couple of days ago.
Prof Pasupalak has less than 25 days of service left. At a press conference on Wednesday, he hit out at Raj Bhavan and the Secretariat and said he had been dragged into a conspiracy to be defamed. “I will go on leave only when a new Vice Chancellor joins the university,” the vice-chancellor said. “I have not applied to take leave. But I received a letter to go on leave on February 26. This letter talks of an investigation. But I do not know what investigation is going on. I had not been informed about any investigation earlier. A vigilance investigation was asked for on the basis of a complaint made by a retired employee of the university. But he was involved in many corruption cases himself. I wonder how an investigation was ordered on the basis of a complain made by a corrupt employee.”
Sources said the Governor has taken the step to ensure transparency in the probe contemplated against Pasupalak in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, principal secretary to agriculture and farmers’ empowerment department, Saurabh Garg, has been given additional charge as vice-chancellor of the varsity.
Governor Ganeshi Lal had on December 9 ordered a vigilance probe into corruption charges against Pasupalak.
