"We informed the vice-chancellor of the university about this but he did not seem interested to talk about it," Chairman of the fund raising committee Bhushan Kumar Manandhar said. "If we hand over the money forgetting the commitments made to the donors, we will lose moral ground in the society," Manandhar added.[break]
Treasurer Dhruba Kumar Shrestha revealed that the committee has a balance of Rs 40.4 million apart from a million lent to Public Science Campus and bank interests accumulated over the last 10 months. Chairman Manandhar revealed that the committee had promised the biggest contributor Moti Prasad Sapkota, who contributed Rs 5.1 million, that his bust would be installed inside the university premises. Many other donors were promised that different blocks and structures inside the premises would be named after them.
"Promises were made to donors during our fund raising campaign. How can we hand over the money unless the officially responsible person refuses to acknowledge those commitments?" he asked.
The members of the committee that struggled for around 15 years to bring the university to Surkhet were critical of VC Padam Lal Devkota for not coordinating with the local committee.
"When we urged him to coordinate with the committee formed by the locals he said that his appointment letter do not mention any main committee. He has betrayed the locals by trying to make the university Kathmandu centred," Chief of Surkhet Campus Dr Mahendra Kumar Malla said.
Malla also accused VC Devkota of making a false start by asking students who have just passed masters level to formulate curriculum for the university.
VC Devkota, on his part, said that he has been discussing the commitments made to the donors with the committee. "I have been talking with them in the capacity of a vice-chancellor. I have not been able to do much due to my other commitments toward the university," said VC Devkota.
Three arrested for collecting donations illegally