BJP Govt in West Bengal appoints party MLAs & MPs as presidents of college governing councils

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Union Minister of State and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar has been made president of governing body of Balurghat College. Photo: Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab

The Bharatiya Janata Party government has appointed MLAs and MPs belonging to the party as presidents of governing bodies in more than 200 government-aided colleges across the State.

The Suvendu Adhikari government, after coming to power in Bengal in early May, had dissolved the governing bodies that were helmed by Trinamool Congress MLAs and MPs.

A notification issued by the West Bengal Higher Education Department pointed out that president of college governing body have been appointed for 247- state run colleges.

Some of the instances where BJP leaders have been appointed as head of colleges governing body include — Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee being appointed as the president of governing body of East Kolkata Girls College. Minister of State for Fire Services Kaushik Chowdhury has been appointed as the head of college managing committee Raiganj B.Ed College. Union Minister of State and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar has been made president of governing body of Balurghat College and Speaker of West Bengal Assembly Rathindra Bose as president of Coochbehar College among others.

State Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay said that there is nothing unusual in these appointments. The Minister said that those who have a bachelor’s degree have been made presidents of college governing bodies. “Local MLAs and MPs are members of the college management committee ex officio. In that case, those who have a bachelor’s degree have been made presidents.This government will not allow the educational field to become a playground for politics in any way,” the Minister said.

After coming to power in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhilkari had promised to make educational institutions free of politics. “We have cancelled the political nominations that were in various schools, colleges and universities with the aim of making educational institutions free from political influence. Because, making educational institutions free from politics and giving autonomy to universities — these should be our priorities,” the Chief Minister had said.

Political observers see the move of appointed BJP MLAs and MP as the president of college governing bodies as a departure from what the BJP had promised. The culture of having politicians at the helm of State-run colleges has been prevalent in the Left Front regime and there was no exception to this in the Trinamool Congress regime.

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