New Delhi: A section of IIT-Kharagpur alumni supporting the selection of Partha Pratim Chakraborty as the institute`s director today demanded his immediate appointment saying the vacancy has "stalled activities in the campus".
Expressing dismay over the delay, alumnus Arjun Malhotra reminded that IIT`s board of governors has already cleared Chakraborty`s name of any wrongdoing after carefully examining a case where his name was involved.
His appointment is now pending Central Vigilance Commission`s clearance.
Chakraborty courted controversy ever since his name cropped in the coal-net scam over allegations of wrongdoing, involving computerisation of Coal India.
"The inordinate delay in clearing his name and approving his appointment as the next director is causing grave harm to him and to IIT Kharagpur, which is an institute of national importance," Malhotra told reporters here.
He threatened to take up the matter to the visitor of the campus -- the President -- if his appointment is not done by July 27 when the convocation is due to take place.
HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju had, however, assured that normalcy would return soon in the campus which has already seen a one-day token strike by over 400 faculty members and a large number of alumni.
Raju said his ministry was waiting for a report from the CVC about the director who has been selected for the post and that "CVC would expedite the decision".
Ministry officials hoped that before Raju`s visit to the campus on July 27 to attend the convocation function, the director would be in place.
Malhotra dismissed suggestion that they were lobbying for Chakraborty saying "he has been found as the best person for the job and has an impressive resume".
PTI
