Fresh Raj Bhavan-govt tussle in Bengal emerges as Governor removes VC of state health varsity

A fresh tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the state government has surfaced in West Bengal with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose directing removal of Suhrita Paul as Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS).

Bose, by virtue of his post of Governor, is also the Chancellor of WBUHS.

The charges are that Paul was not appointed following the rules laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC), and she was appointed by a search committee which did not have any representatives from the UGC.

Previously there had been instances of appointments or reappointments of Vice  Chancellors in state universities in West Bengal being cancelled on the same grounds of being appointed by search committees without UGC representatives.

Recently, different associations of doctors too had sent deputations to the Governor’s House alleging massive mismanagement in the functioning of the WBUHS. Thereafter Raj Bhavan initiated an investigation in the matter. Raj Bhavan sources said that since that time despite sending so many communiques to Paul in the matter, she did not reply to a single one of those.

Finally, the Governor’s House took the decision to remove her.

Meanwhile, the state Education Department is mulling the idea of approaching the courts to challenge the decision of the Governor’s House. Now it is to be seen whether Paul takes legal recourse on her own or the state government does the same on her behalf.