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JNU Refuses to Clear Election Committee’s Bills, Cites Lack of Funds

Malvika Singh |
“By stopping the clearance of bills, JNU administration, especially Kadam seems to be harassing JNU EC for boldly standing out and exposing ABVP's post-election violence during the counting process.”
JNU

Even after three months of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union elections (JNUSU), the Dean of Students (DOS) Umesh Kadam hasn't cleared the Election Committee’s (EC’s) expenditure bills.

The JNUSU, in its press release, on December 7, has said that JNU EC had submitted election expenditure bills to DOS for clearance and release of money. Its clearance has been stalled by JNU administration, citing lack of funds.

JNUSU, in its press release, further alleges that JNU Election committee – which withstood intimidation, threats and violence – successfully conducted JNUSU elections in a completely free and fair manner. But, its members are allegedly being harassed by DOS Kadam.

“JNU VC and admin have all the funds they need to construct statues, to renovate their rooms, offices and buildings, and to increase funding on 'security'.  Yet, when students ask for basic facilities and rights, the administration suddenly faces 'scarcity' of funds!  There has been a massive 80% reduction in funds for the library. The admin hasn't disbursed MCM fellowships amounting to Rs 50 lakhs to MA-BA students. And now it says it doesn't have Rs 50,000 to pay vendors who have provided services to JNU EC to conduct the JNUSU election,” said the release.

N Sai Balaji, president, JNUSU, told Newsclick, “Earlier, for the elections, usually some amount of cash was given to the EC, and later, the DOS cleared the remaining bills within 16-20 days of conclusion of elections. Now the administration has not cleared the bills for over a period of three months, claiming that they don’t have funds.”

He added that it is unfortunate that the JNU administration has collected huge sums of money from massive and disproportionate fines imposed on students for resisting and democratically protesting anti-student and anti-social justice policies of the JNU VC, and yet claims that it doesn't have money to pay election bills of the JNU EC.

“In a brazen show of politically motivated functioning and lopsided unacademic priorities, JNU administration is accumulating funds through massive fines on students on one hand and fund cuts (like library fund cut, non disbursal of MCM) and fee hike on the other and then misusing them to construct statues, hold pro RSS programmes, buying new Gamla's (flower-pots) and renovation of VC's and other higher officials’ offices,” the press release read.

“By stopping the clearance of bills, JNU administration, especially Kadam seems to be harassing JNU EC for boldly standing out and exposing ABVP's post-election violence during the counting process. ABVP activists, after physically attacking many, and breaking into counting centre, held up counting for 16 hours. JNU EC didn't bow to the intimidation of ABVP, nor shied away from lodging complaint against these hooligans. However, it's unfortunate that Prof Kadam, who himself was witness to the illegal occupation of the counting centre and violence, has not recommended punishments to ABVP activists who were accused of the act. By not clearing bills of JNU EC, and not issuing JNUSU official letterhead and stamp, JNU administration seems to be punishing the new union, and students who voted for it,” said Balaji.

He added, “JNUSU demands that the DOS immediately transfer the union fee, JNUSU bank account and other articles required for proper functioning of JNUSU. He has the time to send notices to me over sloganeering against the ABVP, but he does not have the time to respond to our letters regarding this. This shows the attitude of the DOS towards the new JNUSU.”

Read More: Eight Months Gone, JNU Fails to Release Scholarships

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