Director’s ‘luxuries’ force VJTI shutdown
Last week, Bhartiya Kamgar Sena unit of VJTI had lodged a police complaint alleging he was involved in large scale corruption
MUMBAI MIRROR BUREAU
On Wednesday, the Veermata Jeejabai Technical Institute (VJTI) campus was shut after Dr K G Narayankhedkar — the director of the institute — attempted to get inside his office under police protection. Last week, a complaint had been lodged at the Matunga police station by the Bhartiya Kamgar Sena (BKS) unit of VJTI alleging corruption by the director.
The BKS filed a complaint after the minister of technical education Dilip Walse Patil, presented a report before the Assembly last week citing irregularities at VJTI.
The report, probing corruption charges against the director, confirms unauthorised purchase of a luxury car by the director. Since then political parties also have been demanding that the director Narayankhedkar be ousted. (see box)
There was commotion at the campus and police had to intervene to ensure that no law and order problem took place.
“The director went missing after the complaint. He tried to enter his office seeking police protection. The local Sena union leaders requested senior police inspector Azad Modi not to allow him to enter his office as he could tamper with the records,” said S N Nakhare from VJTI. The BKS members allege that the police paid no heed to their request and instead took 16 people in custody.
After this the demonstrators got charged up and immediately geared up to shut the institute.
“The director was nevertheless, escorted to his office by the police,” said a member of the non-teaching staff from the institute. The Sena leaders from Sena Bhavan rushed to the police station. DCP Sunil Ramanand present at Matunga police station heard the group. Later, he released the detained members. However, the agitation at the campus continued but without any disruptive activity.
A couple of days ago, local MLA Jagannath Shetty and Mehernosh Fitter — ward president of the Congress — had promised the staff at VJTI that they would take up the issue with the authorities and demand that the director be ousted.
The police said there was agitation but no law and order problem occurred. “The director has sought police protection and we provided the same as per directions given to us. Even the Sena members extended co-operation and peacefully carried on their protest,” said Modi. Naraynkhedkar was not available for comments despite several attempts.
VIDYARTHI SENA
TAKES DIRECTOR’S CAR KEYS
As per the World Bank assisted Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme,VJTI was allotted Rs 22 crore of the total of Rs 170 crore for the state.
There are allegations that a large part of the money was utilised by the director himself in leasing a Rs 15 lakh Toyota, a digital camera, a mobile phone worth Rs 29,000 and also a camcorder worth Rs 2 lakh, for his own usage.
On Tuesday members of the Shiv Sena’s student wing, Vidyarthi Sena, took away the director’s car keys stating that the car was bought with the World Bank money and he shouldn’t use it.
VJTI staff protest against the director on Wednesday for alleged misuse of a large grant given by the World Bank to the institute.