The University ignoring the normally fact finding Internal Audit Report bringing to light Rs. 61,79,777/= (Rs. Sixty one lac seventy nine thousand, seven hundred seventy seven) has decided to constitute another Fact Finding Inquiry Committee (FFIC).
The University campus is suspicious whether the University is attempting to bring out the truth or trying to save the accused?
Report.S Muneer
Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University established three Centres at Malappuram, Kerala, Murshidabad, West Bengal and Kishanganj, Bihar, with the purpose to provide access to its education across the Country. The Directors of the Centre were appointed by the University taking into consideration the native state of the person so appointed. The education provided by the Centre has not so far come to light, however, serious financial irregularities and suspected misutilisation/misappropriation of the University funds has been admitted by the Office Memo (OM) no. D/DE/591/FFI/GF-06 dated 13.02.2026 to the tune of Rs. 61,79,777/= (Sixty one lac seventy nine thousand, seven hundred seventy seven) instituting an FFIC for further investigations at the Kishanganj centre.
The OM has categorised under three headings the Misutilisation of Development Funds totalling Rs. 13,06,300/- (Thirteen lac six thousand three hundred); Improper Hiring & Excess Expenditure totalling Rs. 27,82,000/- (Twenty seven lac eighty two thousand); and Other Financial & Procedural Lapses. These categories involve cash payments, not deducting TDS, overpaying without approval, cash withdrawals from Bank, advance with not settled payments, due to lapses payment of penalties, use of funds without due process, using funds for purposes other than the funds released for, undue payment of TA/DA, including to the Directors, repeated payment to a particular vendor, etc. The FFIC is to cover a financial period 2020 to 2023, when Prof Rashid Nihal, Department of English, AMU for a short from April 2019 to October 2019 followed by Prof Hasan Imam, Department History, AMU for a longer period from October 2019 to 2023.
The Vice Chancellor has constituted two member FFIC has as its Chairman Prof Abdul Aleem (Rtd.), Department of Hindi and Prof Mohd. Ashraf, Department of Mathematics as a member, while the OM states “In the light of the reported irregularities…”. The terms of reference for the FFIC is to ascertain the total funds misappropriated/lost; to examine the roles of the Directors; to locate the loopholes; and to suggest steps necessary for recovery of the funds. Despite terming these misappropriations as very serious no specific time frame is mentioned except the FFIC is required to submit its report at “the earliest”.
The charges include systematic misuse of administrative funds and violation of GFR norms (General Financial Rules), such as, serious financial and procedural irregularities in development funds diverted for unapproved construction, unauthorized works, and irregular hostel renovation without following proper procurement processes; improper hiring of vehicles and guest houses; double payments for utilities; large cash withdrawals; lack of tax deduction at source; unsettled advances; and improper maintenance of stock registers.
The Internal Audit Report was submitted to the University on 19.02.2024, i.e. nearly two years ago, pending for two months during the tenure of the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Mohd Gulrez. It stayed pending for just less than two years with the present Vice Chancellor Prof Naima Khatoon, who assumed charge on 22.04.2024. The delay may be because the concerned file was not placed before her by the Finance Office, which is suspicious or it took her nearly two years to decide on the seriousness of the matter.
The campus is abuzz with questions, such as, why was the matter kept pending for such a long period ignoring its admitted seriousness? The teachers of the University ask why the OM appointing the FFIC was issued after nearly two years on 13.02.2026, while suffering from various loopholes like its a two member committee, whereas it is a normal practice to have odd member committee in case of a tie, and then why only retired teachers who are not under the control of any officer or body of the University and therefore not accountable for their report, and then when the case involves finances why has not someone from the field included in the committee. The teachers contend that the members of the committee are not well acquainted with financial matters, and therefore express apprehension regarding the competence of the committee leading to the suspicion of it only completing a formality. The teachers are also surprised that there is no time line provided to the committee.
Some senior faculties feel that either the Vice Chancellor does not trust or find the Finance Office competent or the Vice Chancellor has a feeling there might be something fishy going on in the Finance Office and therefore the misuse and misappropriation has not been brought out completely in the report and feels that much more funds are misutilised.
The Vice Chancellor and the MIC, PRO was text for a response on matter but no reply was received till the publishing of this news.
