Apportionment of employees between Magadh University, Pataliputra University delayed

GAYA: The process of apportionment of employees between parent Magadh University (MU) and its off shoot Pataliputra University (PPU) has been delayed by about one year with the result that whereas Magadh University is apparently over staffed, Pataliputra University faces staff crunch.
PPU, it may be recalled, was carved out of MU and 25 of the 44 constituent and three of the four government-funded minority colleges located in Patna and Nalanda districts were tagged with the new university created on 18 March’2018.The remaining 19 constituent and one government-funded minority college located in the districts of Gaya, Jehanabad, Arwal, Aurangabad and Nawada remained with the parent MU.
As per the MoU signed by the officials of the two universities, apportionment process was to be completed in June’2018. Though PPU teachers deputed in the university headquarters including former registrar Shailendra Kumar, the then controller of exams Bimal Prasad Singh and inspector of colleges Anjum Ashrafi were repatriated to Pataliputra University in the wake of warning issued by PPU the registrar, nearly 450 non-teaching employees working at the university headquarters await the execution of apportionment agreement.
As per the terms of the agreement, nearly 55% of non-teaching employees have to be shifted to PPU, the remaining 45% of the employees are to be retained by the MU. Those on the verge of retirement and having serious health issues are to be kept out of the relocation process.
Asked about the delay in apportionment of employees, MU PRO Prof Sidh Nath Prasad Deen said, “Because of the model code of conduct, the apportionment exercise has been shelved. Once the election process is over and the model code of conduct is lifted, apportionment exercise will be resumed.”
As per documents available on the Raj Bhavan website, the Pataliputra University has expressed its reservations on the MU move to shift 14 employees earlier working in the university’s Patna branch office to the new university. These employees, as per records were appointed in a questionable manner against non-existent posts and as such PPU has more than once expressed its refusal to carry the MU baggage in respect of the 14 employees.
At one point of time, the then MU VC Prof Qamar Ahsan said PPU officials want to cherry pick employees and this was not possible as the apportionment has to be done on the basis of a structured formula as was done when Vir Kuer Singh University (VKSU) was carved out of MU in 1992.
Sources in the education department say that PPU officials too are less than enthusiastic about the implementation of the apportionment agreement. Sources said the PPU wanted to make fresh recruitments instead of getting MU employees but the government will not permit fresh recruitment for financial reasons.
The VC’s in any case no longer have the power to make appointment of non-teaching positions and the recruitment power has now been entrusted to the agency that recruits non gazetted employees of the state government.