Skip to content Skip to navigation

Guwahati IGNOU into CBI trap, Chief likely to become scapegoat


The Central Investigation Bureau (CBI) has arrested an employee of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Guwahati Centre on alleged charges of financial scam worth about Rs.26 lakh. On Monday last the accused, Niranjan, was granted three days remand by CBI Special court. According to Senior CBI Chief, Hiren Nath, huge financial irregularities were reported in this prestigious institution and accordingly the CBI began investigation and detected a scam of Rs.25.65 lakh. The CBI has registered a case No. RC 0172010A0007, against the Director of IGNOU, Guwahati Centre, Dr Vardhini Bhattacharjee and the office assistant, Niranjan. The CBI has also seized all the records and other papers related to the financial irregularities.


According to the report, Niranjan has told the investigating team that in alliance with the Centre Director, he managed to manipulate lakhs of rupees by preparing false bills in the name of non-existing Manas Travels and Bajrang Goods Carrier. Besides this, while shifting the office from Chandmari to Christian Basti, about Rs.15 lakh, were manipulated by preparing fake bills in the name of Bajrang Goods Carrier. He has been reported of giving some sensational information about the purchases of vehicles and their repairing and informed the CBI that some outsiders were also involved in the scam. The CBI is trying to bring all of them in its net by its investigation going to the root of the scandal.


It may be mentioned in this regard that the IGNOU Guwahati Centre was running in a mess even since it was functioning at Chandmari. A news report filed by this reporter in the month of August 2008, brought it to the knowledge of IGNOU HQs at New Delhi, after which a lot of changes have taken place and the regional office was also shifted to the new and spacious place. In the recent case the Director, Dr Vardhini Bhattacharjee seems to have been made scapegoat. A big lobby seems to have been working behind the scene, which was not cared for even by the institution. The report filed by this reporter goes on as “according to the students, the regional centre is anarchic. There is no one responsible person except the Regional Centre Director, Dr V. Bhattacharjee, who has to remain most of the time outside the city on her official assignments. It is alleged that the Deputy Director, second in position, does not take any responsibility to solve the problems of the students.”


Refuting the allegations the official, informed this reporter that the report concerned was baseless as the functioning of the Centre was going on well. If the things were going on smoothly, how these anomalies have occurred and detected. Even in small organizations, there is system of looking into the affairs by the next official in absence of the Chief. The IGNOU Guwahati Centre has already issued a rejoinder that the director is in no way involved in this scam. Let us see what the CBI brings out in this case.


Comments

Suyog Bajaj's picture

Its very surprising to hear that a scholar of a prestigious university is involved in this scam, how someone who wants to seek education can have faith on their future.
Kanaksen Deka's picture

Knowing people like Dr. V Bhatterjee, her husband Dr. D S Bhattarjee I am to raise serious question on the ability of CBI officials in Guwahati. Regional Director IGNOU has just been tormented by the tyrants of CBI. The same has been done with another organization, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE). These people have no idea about where real corruption is taking place! They are just running after issues which have hurt their inflated ego's.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Sonowal unveils Bhupen Hazarika statue in Hojai

16 Nov 2017 - 10:45pm | Nikhil Mundra
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonwal on Thursday unvelied a statue and muesem of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika at Shrimanta Sankardev Kristi Vikash Kendra, Sankardev Nagar ,Hojai. Speaking on "Samanvaya Divas"...

Khagen Mahanta-Archana Mahanta will attend GPC programme

1 Sep 2010 - 7:28pm | editor
Eminent singers Khagen Mahanta and Archana Mahanta will attend the ‘Guest of the Month’ programme of Guwahati Press Club on Sunday (September 5). It will begin at 1 pm. During the...

RDX seized from bus in Jagun

22 Nov 2017 - 3:30pm | AT News
TINSUKIA: The Tinsukia police have averted a huge explosion in the state as they seized some explosive materials from a passenger bus in Jagun on Wednesday. Acting on a tip off, a police team in...

NDFB (S) cadre arrested

14 Jan 2016 - 11:39am | Shajid Khan
At a time when Republic day is round the corner and security have been beefed up across the country. A team of Assam Police and Paramilitary forces nabbed a NDFB (S) cadre at Khoirbari on...

Other Contents by Author

‘Awareness’, Forum for legal and health awareness, a Non-Governmental Organization, celebrated World No-tobacco Day on May 31st last. The Forum with the support of LG Electronics India Ltd, Guwahati, organized and Anti-tobacco awareness campaign at Pandu College of the city as part of celebrations. Booklets having pictorials of health hazards of tobacco consumption and ill effects of tobacco consumption in any form were distributed among the participants of the campaign. Slide show presentation and slogan writing competitions were among the programmes that had been organized in the said campaign. NSS, Pandu College unit associated with the said campaign. The Forum awarded...
Recent price hike in essential commodities has badly affected the common people throughout the country in general and the citizens of urban and rural areas of Assam are the most sufferers. Most of the consumer items are imported to this state from other states of the country, as the local production is not sufficient to cater the local needs. The state administration ‘lacking the will-power’ to establish industries, has to bring almost all manufactured goods to the state from outside. While entering into the state the carriers of such goods have to suffer a lot at the check gates established by the state government and managed by the state officials and the ‘brokers...
With recent reports on developmental activities in Assam, it seems that nobody desires the betterment and development of the state. The state administration, student organization, political leaders, bureaucrats, officials and various growing mushroom-like organizations, all are running after money and ‘easy money’. Assam’s industry minister, Pradyut Bardoloi recently came out openly on certain student leaders, who demand money from the industrialists, who come here to invest their money for the development of the state. He cited an example of such demand from a cement factory at Dimoria, to be started by the Star Cement. an organization of repute. The government has...
United Peoples’ Federation of Assam (UPFA) has warned the State and the political parties to refrain from dividing the indigenous people of Assam by creating differences through their activities and behavior. Addressing the media persons on Thursday last at Guwahati Press Club, the UPFA President, Jebra Ram Muchahary, expressed concern over grilling of militant leaders, show casing of ceasefire and ‘so-called drama’ of mass surrender ceremonies and release of jailed leaders. He said that these exercises would not bring real peace in the state and demanded a meaningful settlement of all issues through process of negotiation fulfilling the genuine political aspirations of...
Anusuchit Jati Mahasabha, Assam has alleged high-level corruption in the Directorate of Scheduled Caste, Assam. Addressing the media persons, in Guwahati, the President of the organization, Chandra Kamal Bhagawati said that his organization came to know through Right To Information (RTI) Act 2005 that the funds meant for the development of the scheduled caste and tribes were misused by the directorate officials. Therefore, the Mahasabha has demanded a CBI probe in this matter. He said that for getting some information under the RTI Act his organization filed a petition and the copy of the same was sent to the Chief Minister, Assam, Minister for development of SC/ST department and...
Assam has suffered a lot due to ongoing movement on ‘sovereignty’ by United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), for last three decades. Thousands of innocent people including women, children, aged and media persons, have been killed during this period by the outfit activists and the security forces, due to this conflict. The State has been pushed backward and no development activities could be undertaken by the State government. The funds allotted by the Central Government to the State for development, were ‘misused’ by the State for ‘buying peace’ to the ministers, VIPs and the bureaucrats. Several efforts were done by eminent persons, organizations and...
With increasing insurgency and deteriorating law and order situation in the country, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, seems to have realized that the functioning of his government lacks some vital points, which should have been taken care of long before announcing the welfare schemes meant for the common people of the country. The benefits under almost all the welfare schemes have failed to reach the real beneficiaries, leading to a condition of mistrust over the functioning of the government machineries. Huge funds allotted by the Central Government to the States under developmental schemes ‘dried-up midway’ mysteriously. Bogus utilization certificates were and are...
Taking advantage of easily available MASS communication degree holders and serious unemployment problems in the state the media houses in Assam have got an opportunity to ‘hire and fire’ the media men, whimsically. The Fourth Estate in Assam is deprived of ‘fair deals’ despite the existing ‘The Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Condition of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, enforced. Under this Act, the Central Government constituted Wage Board for suggesting salary and perks for journalists and other workers in media. This Act is confined and has its jurisdiction up to print media only. In the year 1985, the Bachhawat Wage...
Being disillusioned by top-level corruption and slow pace of development in the Barak Valley, the southern-most part of the Assam state, the people have now raised demands for a separate economic development council for the region. Under the banner of Barak Valley Economic Development Council Demand Committee, the Central committee President, Kishore Kumar Bhattacharjee along with Karimganj unit chief, Jyotirmoy Das, Hailakandi unit chief, Mahibur Rahman Choudhury and Cachar unit chief, Nimai Sarma, submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi in Guwahati during first week of this month demanding construction and improvement of roads under the area and early completion...
The BJP detractors, the four Members of Assam Legislative Assembly, who defied the party whip during recent Rajya Sabha elections and cast their votes in favor of the candidates of Congress Party, now seem to have facing a tough time to save their political career. They have around them a bitter atmosphere in their constituencies and their high dreams are shattered. Now they have the only alternative to join the Congress Party, for which they are trying their best. The Assembly elections in Assam next year may put them in difficult situation for various reasons. None of the political parties would like to have such ‘salable items’. It may be mentioned here that four...