In an eye-popping proposal the Bharathiar University has decided to buy a Rs 35 lakh worth Mercedes Benz for the official use of its Vice Chancellor G James Pitchai. He presently has a Toyota Camry. Besides, the university’s Registrar, Controller of Examination and Director of School of Distance Education will each get a Toyota Etios priced at Rs 7 lakh upwards.
The luxury sedans would be purchased using a part of the Rs 5.65 crore surplus funds which the university earned (as of March 2011) through fees paid by State Eligibility Test (SET) candidates from across Tamil Nadu over the past two years. The State government had certified the university as a nodal centre for conducting the SET.
Academics have expressed concern over the move as the university is yet to address certain urgent infrastructural and academic needs of the students such as more hostels, toilets and a better-equipped library.
However, the Vice Chancellor defended the decision. “Since, a huge amount is remaining unutilised from the SET account, we decided to purchase vehicles for the SET Chairman (read Vice Chancellor) to visit the 71 examination centres (when the SET is conducted). If this money is not utilised, it has to be returned to the government. As per norms, this money can only be used for certain heads like transportation and cannot be utilised for improving other facilities like hostels or toilets,” he insisted.
An academic countered this asking “Why should a luxury sedan be purchased just for visiting examination centres when the SET is conducted only twice a year? Does this mean the officials won’t use the car on other days?”