After Supreme Court directive, Bengal Governor invites Mamata Banerjee to Raj Bhavan to hold talks on VCs' appointment

The top court had on Oct 6 said there is a need for reconciliation between the Governor and the chief minister 'in the interest of educational institutions and the future careers of lakhs of students'

CV Ananda Bose and Mamata Banerjee , File

PTI, Calcutta, 13.10.23 : West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inviting her to the Raj Bhavan for a meeting on the appointments of vice-chancellors at different universities in the state, a senior official said.

Bose's letter to Banerjee on Thursday came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court staying the emoluments of the newly appointed interim vice-chancellors of state-run universities in West Bengal and asking the governor to sit with the chief minister "over a cup of coffee" to resolve the deadlock over the appointment of VCs.

"The governor has written a letter inviting the CM to Raj Bhavan for a meeting on the appointments of VCs at different universities in the state," the official told PTI.

The governor's office is "expecting a reply from the CMO soon", he said.

The top court had on October 6 said there is a need for reconciliation between the governor and the chief minister "in the interest of educational institutions and the future careers of lakhs of students".

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta said the stay on emoluments to interim VCs appointed in August will continue till the pendency of the state government's petition against the governor's action of appointing interim vice-chancellors. The governor is the ex-officio chancellor of state universities.

The apex court was hearing an appeal of the West Bengal government against the June 28 order of the Calcutta High Court which stated there was no illegality in the orders issued by the governor appointing interim VCs in 11 state-run universities.

On September 27, the top court had sought names of eminent personalities including scientists, technocrats, administrators, educationists and jurists for setting up a search committee for short-listing and appointing VCs in state-run universities.

Taking note of the running feud between the state and the office of the governor on the issue, the top court had decided on September 15 that it would set up a search committee to pick VCs.

Earlier, the high court had held that the chancellor has the power to appoint VCs as laid down in relevant enactments.

The relations between Raj Bhavan and the West Bengal government nosedived when the governor started appointing interim VCs of 11 state-universities after the term of full-time VCs of 31 universities expired in April-May this year.

As the state government accused Bose of bypassing it by taking the decision, Raj Bhavan maintained that every step was taken as per the law in the interest of students to ensure there was no deadlock in the functioning of the universities.