Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 29: Retired Employees Forum of SKUAST-Jammu has alleged corrupt practices in the Agricultural University and demanded immediate removal of the incumbent Vice Chancellor.
Talking to media persons, here today, Chairman of the Forum, P D K Uppal claimed that the incumbent VC has placed his wife on the post of Associate Director Extension (ADE) without following due selection procedure.
“Without screening and interview, wife of the VC was selected for the post of ADE and even ICAR was also misled over the selection,” he said, adding that the matter is under investigation by the J&K Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Uppal also drew attention towards the charges of alleged sexual harassment against the incumbent VC by a female Associate Professor of SKUAST-Jammu who had also approached the National Commission of Women (NCW).
“The incumbent VC is also accused of not protecting the Scheduled Caste employees of the university as he did not take any action against a Dean, who had abused two SC permanent employees on the occasion of Sant Guru Kabir Dass Ji Jayanti on 11.06.2025,” Uppal said. He further said that despite a formal communiqué by the National Commission for Scheduled Caste on 13.08.2025, with a copy to VC advising him to take action against the culprit Dean, no action was being taken.
The REF Chairman alleged that that the incumbent Vice Chancellor was solely responsible for the loss of property and risking lives of students as well as staff when flash flood entered Main Campus Chatha of the University on 26.08.2025. “When alarming situation developed and staff wanted to move to safe places, the VC did not permit anyone to move as he was busy in a luncheon meeting with some Deans & Directors,” he added and reiterated that immediate removal of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor Prof B N Tripathi was required to save the agricultural university.
The executives of REF, including Abdul Wahid Katoch, Darshan Kumar Sharma, Shiv Charan Sharma, Om Parkash, Ram Lal and other retired members were also present in the press conference.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
