Bhopal: Barkatullah varsity VC returns Rs 1.11L after nine months

After a lot of hue and cry over the Denmark visit of Barkatullah University vice chancellor MD Tiwari, he has deposited Rs 1.11 lakh in the university's account after nine months and written to the registrar in this regard.

Tiwari had gone to Denmark in August 2014. After spending a week there, he came back and applied for reimbursement of Rs 3 lakh. He had taken Rs 1.1 lakh as an advance.

The audit cell of the university had raised an objection over the visit and marked it as a personal visit, as the vice chancellor had not sought any prior permission from the chancellor.

In a letter to the university registrar, Tiwari said: "I am returning Rs 1.11 lakh after the university's regional additional director (audit) made an objection. I had used the fund as dearness allowance while visiting Alaborg University, Denmark, but after the objection of the auditor, I am depositing the money in the universityfs account."

Earlier, Tiwari had informed the higher education department and the Raj Bhawan that he signed a memorandum of understanding with Alaborg University, Denmark, for students exchange programmes and applied for reimbursement of his visit.

However, the university audit department refused to clear his bills citing it was a personal visit.

Following the controversy over Tiwari's visit, the state higher education department had released a circular to all the universities and sought details regarding foreign visits of vice chancellors.

The vice chancellors were asked to answer the purpose of their visit and how it would help the students in their academics. When HT contacted Tiwari over the issue, he said: "I have clearly mentioned that it was not a personal visit. I don't want to squabble on such petty issue. If I start to answer such objection, there would no end of such things."

ANOTHER OBJECTION

The Barkatullah University audit cell has raised objection on the visit of Ramjee Prasad of Center for Teleinfrastruktur (CITF), Alaborg University, Denmark, to attend an international conference. Prasad had come to India on April 3, whereas the conference started on April 11. The audit raised objections that Prasad had come to India for gsome other reason and he was invited to conference to oblige him.