Ministers differ on MLAs as college governing body president

A day after Higher Education minister Arun Sahoo announced the decision to abolish the practice of inducting local MLAs as president of government aided colleges governing bodies, one of his cabinet colleague on Friday opposed the move while another supported it.

Labour minister Sushant Singh expressed his disagreement with Sahoo's decision.

"I am not convinced by the Higher Education ministers statement. I do not understand the reason behind not keeping local MLAs or elected representatives in the governing bodies.

"The politician may not be the president of the governing body. But, they should be in the managing committee at least as a member to supervise the developmental activities of the colleges," Singh said.

The Labour minister also said as the sitting MLAs are not able to attend the managing committee meetings frequently due to time constraint they should be given the membership of the committee, but not totally kept away.

Singh said he would take up the matter with the Higher Education minister.

However, Minister of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ashok Chandra Panda supported the higher education ministers decision.

"Whether part of the governing body or not, it is the responsibility of the local MLA to look after the development of the colleges in their jurisdiction. One should have an attitude for developing the colleges," Panda said.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education department on Friday issued a notification dissolving all governing bodies or managing committees of government-aided degree colleges in the state.

Sahoo after attending a meeting of the Odisha Parents Association on Thursday had said that the department has decided that no elected representative or local MLA would be allowed in the governing bodies of degree colleges.

The Higher Education minister said experts and local academicians should ideally be the president of the college governing bodies. Sahoo also said that the governments decision would soon be notified in the state Gazette.

Local MLAs function as president of all state-run degree colleges at present.

Opposition Congress and BJP also criticized the Higher Education ministers decision and opined that the ruling party would rehabilitate some of its non-political supporters in the college governing body.