Suspecting fraud, BNMU VC seeks accounts' audit of all colleges

PURNIA: Suspecting huge misappropriation of funds in colleges under Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (BNMU), Madhepura, vice-chancellor Dr Binod Kumar has shot off a missive to the accountant general (AG), Bihar, to audit the accounts of colleges between April 1, 2006 and 2014.
Though avoiding the word 'scam', the VC on Friday confirmed that he has written a letter to the AG to audit the accounts of the university as well as all 27 constituent colleges under the university.The accounts of the colleges between April 2006 and 2014 need to be immediately audited, he said. Similar letters were also sent to governor-cum-chancellor's principal secretary and education department principal secretary, he added.
"Such audits will only confirm whether the funds allocated to the colleges were misappropriated or not," he said. The internal audit of the funds, which were disbursed to colleges since 2010, has also not been done.
The VC's letter has created a huge flutter across the colleges in Purnia and Kosi divisions, according to sources. "The audit by the AG could reveal many disparities," university officials said.
The colleges were also advanced whopping funds by the UGC (University Grants Commission ) under a slew of schemes to promote vocational and other courses over the years. Under the provision of the schemes, the college authorities bought computers, books as well as furniture etc, university officials said.
But the norms prescribed for the purchase of educational gadgets and others were allegedly thrown to winds, and funds were largely siphoned-off, sources divulged. In this context, it is pointed out that often tenders were either floated in wrongful manner or were awarded to those close to the college authorities.