DHARAN, JANUARY 26
Incumbent and former vice-chancellors of various universities have jointly protested the government decision to assign administrative and financial responsibilities of BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, to Health Ministry's staffer Shyam Sundar Yadav today.
Yadav of the ministry has assumed the responsibility at BPKIHS since yesterday.
The government has stopped four office bearers of BPKIHS from discharging their responsibilities and authorised Dr Yadav to take the responsibility violating the BPKIHS Act.
BPKIHS' Vice-chancellor Gyanendra Giri and Hospital Director Gaurishankar Sah have filed a writ against the appointment of Yadav at the Supreme Court. The government has appointed Yadav and District Treasury Controller's Office Sunsari Chief Chiranjivi Adhikari to look after administrative and financial matters.
The VCs demanded that the decision be withdrawn at the earliest. Vice-chancellors have flayed the government decision saying government intervention was unacceptable in an autonomous institution like BPKIHS.
Seven former vice-chancellors, including one incumbent vice-chancellor, have issued a press statement and asked the government not to interfere in independent institutions such as BPKIHS.
"The Cabinet decision barring BPKI- HS' office bearers from discharging their duties and appointing the health ministry's Yadav to take charge of administrative and financial duties is a clear violation of the autonomy of BPKI- HS," the press statement reads.
Those protesting the government decision include Madhes Institute of Health Sciences' VC Professor Doctor Ramkewat Sah, Patan Institute of Health Sciences' former VC Bharat Kumar Sah, former VC of Purbanchal University Toran Bahadur Karki, Mid-western University's ex-VC Upendra Kumar Koirala, Former TU VC Ganesh Bahadur Gurung and Pokhara University's ex-VC Chiranjivi Sharma. Meanwhile, Yadav said that he had not come to be the vice-chancellor or registrar of BPKIHS. "I will fulfil the responsibility assigned by the government."
The hearing on the writ filed by the office bearers slated for today has been deferred at the apex court. Yadav said he would welcome the court's decision.
BPKIHS' Employees' Welfare Society, Faculty Welfare Society, among others, said that they could not help Yadav as his appointment was not in line with the BPKIHS Act and law.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 27, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
