VB acting VC reassigns 'penalised' employees

SANTINIKETAN: Seven of the employees at Visva-Bharati, who were show-caused or suspended during the tenure of former vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, were reassigned duties. An associate professor, who had been superseded earlier, was made the head of her department.Faculty members lauded acting VC Sanjoy Mallik's move. VB general secretary Karmisabha Bidyut Sarkar said, "I am hopeful as the acting VC is taking positive steps to restore normalcy at the institution." Visva Bharati University Faculty Association Sudipta Bhattacharya said, "Many others, too, were victims of Bidyut Chakrabarty's act of vengeance. We hope their suspensions and transfers will also be looked into." Most of the seven had been transferred from their own posts to Visva-Bharati's Granthana Vibhaga on various duties. Among them was Arka Das, who was transferred to Granthana Vibhaga in October 2019 allegedly for protesting against Chakrabarty's "autocratic and unlawful activities" and then, his salary was stopped and he was debarred from duty. The HC revoked VB's action and he was allowed to rejoin. Das was transferred to the retirement benefit section on Friday.Anirban Sircar, former PRO of V-B, who had refused to issue a press release that had political implications, was sent to the Academic & Research section from being the assistant registrar. Office assistant Tanmoy Hazra, who was transferred to the accounts office on Friday, was suspended in July 2020 and was later reinstated with a penalty. Dilip Kumar Mondal and Asit Garai were also meted out "punishment posting" at Granthana Vibhaga for allegedly taking part in a protest against Chakrabarty's decisions and activities. While Mondal was transferred to the principal's office at Bhasha Bhavana, senior laboratory assistant Garai was sent to the chemistry department. Two others, Bhagirath Mondal and Barendranath Pradhan, have been transferred to Silpa Sadana and file section. Acting VC Mallik also made associate professor Manjari Chakraborty as the head of philosophy & comparative religion department, Vidya Bhavan, for three years in place of Bipasha Raha. An official said Raha was a history professor but was made the head of philosophy department.