OUR CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR: The Indian Patriotic Federation Socialist (IPFS) and the All Assam Socialist Democratic People’s Swaraj Party have expressed grave concern over the growing negative influence of anti-social elements in Assam’s educational, intellectual, and journalistic fields.
In a press statement issued today, senior journalist and state chief coordinator of IPFS, Pranjal Rajguru, stated that Assam’s once-sacred academic sector is increasingly being overshadowed by unethical and anti-social influences. He lamented that the state’s moral and intellectual values in education are deteriorating, posing a serious threat to the overall development of Assamese society.
A major point of contention is the alleged financial irregularities at the prestigious Sivasagar Girls’ College. Two faculty members have been accused of misappropriating Rupees 4.55 crore allocated under the UGC/RUSA infrastructural development fund. This controversy comes at a time when the Assam Higher Education Department recently terminated 451 temporary college lecturers across the state. Many of these dismissed educators staged protests in Guwahati, demanding justice. However, while these educators lost their jobs overnight, corrupt faculty members at Sivasagar Girls’ College continue to hold their positions, drawing monthly salaries of 2-3 lakh rupees despite serious allegations against them, Rajguru alleged.
IPFS and the Socialist Democratic People’s Swaraj Party have demanded that the Assam government, Higher Education Department, and Education Minister take immediate legal action against those involved in financial mismanagement, and a judicial probe be initiated to punish the guilty and recover the misused public funds.
The press statement also raised concerns about a section of journalists in Sivasagar allegedly using RTI and investigative journalism as tools for blackmail. Some reporters are accused of demanding bribes to suppress news related to corruption at Sivasagar Girls’ College.
Rajguru also stated that although former Sivasagar District Commissioner Aditya Vikram Yadav had previously set up an inquiry committee into the Rs 4.55 crore corruption case, the investigation was halted due to unknown reasons. IPFS has now urged Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu to ensure that a fair judicial investigation is carried out and that strict action is taken against the culprits.
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