The district chapters of eight political parties including UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhesi People´s Rights Forum among others have demanded collective resignation of PU Vice-chancellor Maheshwar Man Shrestha, Deans Shubha Narayan Phatak and Shyam Katuwal, registrar Niraj Pandey and acting registrar Shambhu Koirala. The parties have charged the officials of involvement in irregularities and corruption.
A day after the agitating parities submitted a memorandum to PU demanding immediate resignation of the officials, Vice-chancellor Shrestha headed for capital last Friday by handing over his responsibilities to Dean Pathak. However Pathak has refused to officiate as vice-chancellor due to the parties´ protest.
The other four PU officials are also in Kathmandu along with Shrestha. According to sources they have been lobbying with political parties to save their posts. Ironically, all the five officials were appointed through political partronage.
"After their own political parties demanded their resignation, they have gone to the capital to meet senior leaders of their respective parties. They are asking the parties to instruct the district-based leaders to end protest," reported a knowledgeable source at PU.
Vice-chancellor Shrestha said the resignation demand put forward by the political parities has no legitimacy. "I will tender my resignation only if PU chancellor and Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi demands," added he.
Meanwhile, the district chapters of the agitating parties have written to Regmi demanding resignations of the officials.
"We have informed about the irregularities to PU Chancellor Regmi. We have asked him to lend a support as the protest is aimed at bringing positive change to PU," said Mahesh Regmi, CPN-UML Morang district chairman. He also said that they district chapters of the protesting parties have asked their party leaderships support the agitation.
As many as 275 colleges have applied at PU seeking affiliation but the five officials have been giving affiliations only after taking between Rs 500,000 to Rs 1 million as bribe, the district level-parties have charged.
For giving affiliation to medical colleges, PU officials have been charging between Rs 100 million to Rs 150 million, the political paties claimed.
Eight political parties including among others are have united together to provide a new leash of life to the university plagued with corruption and irregularities.
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