If the government has its way, professors will no longer be allowed to hold the post of finance officers.
The Department of Higher Education has decided to urge the State Accounts Department to depute its personnel to work as finance officers in State-run universities. This comes in the wake of discrepancies in the expenditure of universities across the State.
According to the department records, over the past few years, there have been 827 audit objections from 17 universities. These objects are raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General and sent to the Higher Education Department.
Karnatak University has the maximum number of audit objections at 114. Others with discrepancies in their books include Bangalore University and University of Mysore with 113 and 94 objections, respectively.
B.H. Anil Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Higher Education, said that currently a majority of the universities have appointed professors to hold the post of finance officers. Only two universities have officials from the State Accounts Department working as finance officers. “We need to have people who have more financial prudence in these posts. We also want universities to adhere to rules of financial propriety,” said Mr. Kumar.
The number of audit objections is a reflection of finance officers not following proper procedure. “Sometimes, it is not really the issue of misappropriation of funds but simple process of how tender should be floated and the due processes not being followed,” he added.
Move welcome
This move has been welcomed by faculty members. “We have no expertise or training to work as finance officers, yet my colleague was asked to take up an assignment as finance officer. Besides adding to his workload, he also found that he was not aware of many of the rules and regulations of how money should be spent in universities,” a senior professor from a State-run university said.
The Higher Education Department seems to be keeping a close watch on its purse strings.
It recently asked universities to exercise caution and cut down on unnecessary expenditure incurred by State-run universities when they host programmes. Universities have been asked to stop gifting bouquets, shawls and other items to visiting dignitaries.