Lokayukta to check out BU scamsters

BANGALORE: Even as the Jayalakshmi case continues to haunt Bangalore University, more skeletons are threatening to tumble out.
On Saturday, two syndicate members came under the Lokayukta scanner. Former Academic Council member L Vasudeva Murthy filed a complaint against two members -- D Ayyappa and Y A Narayana Swamy (MLC) -- before the Lokayukta, alleging misuse of power and violation of the Karnataka State University Act 2000.
A copy of the complaint, available with Sunday Times of India, states that the two syndicate members had recommended courses/seats for some colleges, beyond what the institutions had sought in their applications."The institutions had neither sought the same nor paid the fee prescribed to the university. The members also recommended additional courses/seats with respect to colleges which had not submitted applications within the prescribed time," it stated.
The members had also recommended an increase in intake for lucrative courses, for which the institutions charge huge sums in the form of donation, admission and tuition fee. "The members have thrown all rules, regulations and laws to the wind... which was unheard of in the history of Bangalore University," the complaint added.
Murthy also alleged that the members collected huge amounts of money from the institutions/colleges they visited for the illegal favour of recommending additional courses and increasing sanctioned intake for starting P-G programmes.
For the academic year 2009-10, a notification was issued on September 10, 2008, inviting applications. The last date for receipt of applications was September 30, 2008, without late fee, and October 15, 2008, with a late fee of Rs 1,000, which was later extended for some time.
According to the Act, the applications are to be placed before the syndicate for consideration, and the syndicate forms a local inquiry committee (LIC). For the year 2009-10, the applications were placed before the syndicate at a meeting in November, and an LIC formed to visit the applicant colleges.
But the LIC was constituted under the chairmanship of the syndicate members. Neither the university nor an officer working for it is empowered to entertain the application beyond the date fixed.
These two syndicate members allegedly favoured 84 and 82 colleges respectively. "The colleges were `handpicked', `chosen' without observing any criteria such as area, zone or convenience of the locality where they are situated," the complaint noted.
Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde told STOI: "We have registered a case under the Lokayukta Act and asked the university to furnish details about the allegations."