JAMMU, July 4: Senior bureaucrats and six former Vice Chancellors of the Jammu University are amongst other top officials who have not returned books taken from the Central library of the varsity.
The University has revealed in a reply received under RTI that these top officials are amongst the defaulters.
“A List of defaulters released by the Public Information Officer of Jammu University, who have not returned books of its Central library, includes the names of at least six former Vice Chancellors of the University, several high profile officers of the State bureaucracy and senior faculty members of different Departments of the University besides staff members of the Central Library itself,” RTI activist Raman Sharma said.
Interestingly, the University has admitted that neither the memberships of the book defaulters were terminated nor suspended nor the only action taken was simply issuance of a reminder Message to them on July 14 last year, Sharma said.
As per the prescribed rule of the University, nobody is permitted to keep a book beyond a period of one month.
The PIO of the University has named at least five former Vice Chancellors of JU including — JN Bhan, SC Dubey, JD Sharma Pushkar Nath, ML Lakhanpal, Yog Raj Malhotra — for not returning the books back at the library.
The list of defaulters also comprises several other high profile people including — former Member Legislative Council Janak Raj, former Education Commissioner SS Kapoor, ex-Vice Chancellor of the university Satya Bhushan.
Senior officers of the Governor’s office have also taken away the books from the library and did not bother to return them, the RTI reply stated.
Former Principal Secretaries to Governor including Pushkar Nath and Satish Piplani are amongst the defaulters of the library, it said.
“Name of Ajay Singh, ADC of the Governor is also figured in the defaulters list,” Sharma said.
The interim list of defaulters served by the PIO reveals name of over 150 people who have swindled the books from Jammu University.
Many Heads of Departments of the University too failed to return the books borrowed by them from the library.
“Several other administrative officers of the University occupying higher posts like ex-Registrar, Controller Examination, Superintendent, Assistant Director and Medical Officer are also amongst the defaulters of the Library. One Journalist, Principals of the Government Colleges, Ayurvedic College and even staff members of the Kashmir University have taken books from the Library and never returned them,” Sharma said.
The officer, in his reply, has said that there are 4,41,839 books available in the University Library. In response to the query about total number of books damaged during last 10 years, the officer replied that the books are bound annually. He did not give any specific figure.
He said that several expensive books were also missing from the library.
The RTI reply also reveals that during the last 10 financial years, the university has spent a total amount of Rs. 2,36, 64,037 for purchase of books.
The activist has urged the Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chancellor of Jammu University, to direct the Vice Chancellor to take immediate legal action against the defaulters and bring the borrowed book back to the library shelf. (PTI)
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