HC issues notice to SPU

ANAND, April 21: Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to Sardar Patel University (SPU) on the appointment of former registrar K M Patel as...

ANAND, April 21: Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to Sardar Patel University (SPU) on the appointment of former registrar K M Patel as Officer On Special Duty (OSD) by the vice-chancellor. The matter has been fixed for hearing on May 5.

According to informed sources, the petitioner SPU estate engineer Narottambhai Patel had claimed that he was supposed to get the charge of the post on retirement of K M Patel as he is senior most officer of the SPU.

But Narottambhai Patel, the sources said is facing inquiry for `gross irregularities’ which

he had allegedly committed as an estate engineer and hence was not given the appointment.

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K M Patel was to retire on March 31, but the SPU Syndicate decided `to give him extension of one year in the interest of the university work’. The university sought the government’s approval on the decision.

As the government approval was awaited, the SPU Syndicate which met on March 30, authorities the vice-chancellor S V Patel to take appropriate action on the issue.

The V-C gave the charge of the post to Harish Desai, deputy registrar and appointed K M Patel on a newly created post of Officer on Special Duty (OSD), sources said. A one-man committee is probing into the alleged irregularities.

Energy source meet: A two-day national level meet of scientists working in the field of unconventional and renewable sources of energy was concluded here on Saturday. It was organised by the Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute, Vidyanagar, was attended by 40 scientists of 15 centres of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) coordinated projects.