No probe ordered into alleged financial irregularities at SVNIT

Surat: Premier engineering institute Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) here is yet to conduct inquiry as two why its annual accounts have not been audited since last two years. Because of this the union Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD) did not release grants for the institute for the last two years, resulting in severe financial crisis.
A couple of days ago, the in-charge deputy registrar Pratij Shah, who was also looking after the accounting department, resigned from the post taking responsibility for the delay in auditing.

Interestingly, Shah, whose regular posting is as system administrator at computer department in SVNIT, resigned only after the committee from MHRD came for inquiry of accounts. Shah has been in-charge deputy registrar since past few years.

“No inquiry is being done over the delay in auditing of accounts. MHRD committee came recently and they have initiated an inquiry,” SVNIT director S R Gandhi told TOI.

“There are some major financial irregularities due to which the accounts could not get audited and if the auditing is done in detail by third party, everything will come out clear. We hope that MHRD officials look into the issue in detail,” said a source in the SVNIT, who raised the issue in MHRD.

The institute is passing through a tough time since 2015 when sexual harassment cases had rocked the education fraternity. Two associate professors were dismissed for sexually harassing girl students. During the same issue the then director and registrar also faced actions.

After the issue, D P Vakharia, was appointed as in-charge registrar and few months later Gandhi was appointed as director.