A fresh round of tussle between the state secretariat and Raj Bhavan has started snowballing in West Bengal over a fresh set of guidelines imposed on the vice-chancellors of state universities by the Governor's House.
The Raj Bhavan on Thursday issued a letter to all the vice-chancellors of state universities, directing them to take the concurrence of the Governor's House in all finance-related matters. The VCs have also been asked to submit a weekly report on the overall functioning of their respective universities.
On Friday, state Education Minister Bratya Basu questioned the legal validity of the guidelines issued by the Governor.
"I have asked the education secretary to seek legal advice on how far the letter from the Governor is legally valid," Basu said.
The minister also alleged that the letter was sent to the vice-chancellors keeping the education department in the dark.
Basu further questioned if the Raj Bhavan can directly send such instructions to the state universities by bypassing the state education department.
This is the second major tussle between the state secretariat and the Raj Bhavan. Earlier this year, the Governor's House had sought to replace the erstwhile principal secretary to the Governor, Nandini Chakaroborty. After initial hesitancy, the state government had replaced Chakroborty. However, the post vacated by her is still lying vacant as the Governor has not given concurrence to any of the three names suggested by the state secretariat as Chakroborty's replacement.
Recently, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose had issued strongly-worded statements against the state administration over the attack on the convoy of Union minister Nisith Pramanik at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district, as well as on the recent clashes over Ram Navami processions in the state.
--IANS
src/arm
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
)