Pune: SPPU Refutes Allegations by Senate Member Sachin Gorade Patil
Pune, 2nd January 2024: The recent allegations made by the senate member of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Sachin Gorade Patil, have been dismissed as baseless and factually incorrect by the official press note issued by SPPU on 1st January 2024.
Gorade Patil, in a recent press conference, leveled serious accusations of non-transparency and corruption against Vice Chancellor Suresh Gosavi.
The allegations raised by Gorade Patil revolved around the lack of transparency in the tender process for awarding contracts for DTP and proofreading of question papers to a private company. Furthermore, he questioned the allocation of funds to the Department of Technology (DoT) of SPPU while some Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) of the department are still under scrutiny. Additionally, he raised concerns about the arbitrariness involved in framing the reinsurance scheme for teachers and non-teaching staff.
Regarding the allegations concerning the tender process for DTP and proofreading contracts, the press note from SPPU states that the University’s Examination Department awarded the contract through an e-tender process for a 3-year period amounting to 15 crores. The company’s name cannot be disclosed due to secrecy provisions in the contract. The press note emphasizes that this contract was awarded at a 10% lower cost than the previous one.
In response to the fund allocation accusations to the Department of Technology, the circular asserts that various agreements are executed with the permission of SPPU’s management body. Only authorized clauses in these agreements are administered and executed financially. The circular dismisses the corruption charges against the Vice Chancellor as baseless.
Gorade Patil claimed that around Rs 3.43 crore was spent on reinsurance, questioning the need for it when the state government’s medical fee reimbursement scheme is in effect for around 500 grant-in-aided officers and staff of the SPPU. The circular counters this by stating that, according to Article 5 of the Maharashtra Public University Act, 2016, the university has full rights to implement schemes for the welfare of its employees. The Group Mediclaim policy has been in effect for 20 years and was implemented based on popular demand, amended with the permission of the management council, and overseen by the finance section of SPPU.
The SPPU expressed displeasure that a senate member should not make unfounded allegations that could tarnish the image of the prestigious Pune University.
