There are reports of NCCT Secretary Mohan Mishra arbitrarily interfering in the working of Pune based prestigious cooperative institute-Vamnicom, leading to huge resentment among the faculty members and management. This has also compelled the incumbent Director Dr K K Tripathy not to seek extension of his tenure, sources add.
Since NCCT got delinked from NCUI by ministerial fiat and since it is the apex body of co-op training which is chaired by none other than Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar (according to the new arrangement), Mishra is said to throw his weight around in the name of the ministry.
The incumbent Director Dr K K Tripathy, credited with many firsts in the institute, refused to comment on the issue upholding the propriety. However, sources add that there are any number of cases where Mohan Mishra interfered unduly in the affairs of the Vamnicom.
Six months ago, the Director (Cooperation) asked me for a reaction on extension of the term and I said to him that I am not seeking another term due to several reasons”, Tripathy said without disclosing the reasons to Indian Cooperative.
“We indeed rue our day when Vamnicom was severed from NCUI; it’s like falling between the devil and the deep blue sea”, said a faculty member on condition of anonymity.
“How much time can the Agriculture Minister, tasked with the huge assignment of doubling farmers’ income spare for Vamnicom,” asked he, hinting at the fact that it is this helplessness of the Minister which is being exploited by NCCT Secretary Mishra.
The list of Mishra’s interferences is long, confided a faculty. “Despite getting funds from the ministry in the name of Vamnicom, NCCT delays the process of releasing the grant-in-aid. In fact, on several occasions, our Director had to seek intervention of the ministry for the release of the fund-a process which should have been automatic, he added.
Giving another example the source said though there is no post of lecturer in Vamnicom yet the NCCT secretariat arbitrarily transferred a woman Lecturer of ICM, Pune to Vamnicom without informing the Director who is the Chairman of the Placement committee. “NCCT Secretary Mohan Mishra thinks Vamnicom is his fiefdom”, he added.
Vamnicom Director Tripathy apprised the Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture of these issues. He also pointed out that often the NCCT office sends confusing instructions which the Vamnicom management finds hard to understand, sources add.
“Actually, Mishra through NCCT is trying to gradually usurp the autonomy of Vamnicom in both its administrative and financial matters. Sadly, he does so without the due approval of the Government leading to stunting of growth of the Vamnicom,” the sources underlined.
Lauding Tripathy for his proactive approach, one of the faculties said it was due to his efforts Vamnicom could publish its annual report after a gap of 19 years. The poor infrastructure of the institute has been renovated and new training modules were introduced, he added.
He rued the fact that Tripathy has refused extension for the next term and blamed NCCT secretary for creating a mess in which no well-meaning officer can perform.