The Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asked the Directorate of Higher Education to conduct a financial audit of the accounts of the Bhagini Nivedita College after he had received complaints of financial irregularities against the principal, Charu Sharma. It is one of the 10 colleges fully funded by the State Government.
Mr. Sisodia wrote to Manisha Saxena, Secretary of Higher Education, “these complaints have come from different stakeholders like students, parents, teachers, etc. These allege financial irregularities in tendering processes, hiring of a car for the principal, buying of unnecessary items not needed in an educational institution, etc. Directorate of Higher Education should immediately get the accounts of the last two years audited, preferably by a CAG impaneled auditor,” adding that the compliance report should be submitted within 15 days.
Although Manisha Saxena, Secretary Higher Education declined receiving any letter, she added that the department had asked 12 colleges funded by the Delhi government for salary bills and recruitment details earlier.
The principal replied, “I’m shocked to hear this. I didn’t know about it. I only took over as principal in April last year. Since the last one year, we have seen an increase in academic seminars and student activities. The college should be known for that rather than all this.”
In an earlier incident, former principal, Purbi Saikia, had also faced allegations of financial and administrative irregularities like faculty appointment, harassment of staff, misuse of staff car, bribery, following which the College Governing Body suspended her.
