Bengal Guv vs state: Guv appoints former Karnataka CJ as interim V-C of RBU

Kolkata, July 6 In a move which is likely to intensify the power tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has appointed former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee as the interim Vice-Chancellor of the iconic Rabindra Bharati University (RBI).

The Governor’s decision on this count surfaced on Thursday morning.

Late on Wednesday evening, the Governor’s House announced the formation of a “peace and harmony” committee amid the rising violence over the July 8 panchayat polls in West Bengal. Justice Mukherjee (retired) was also appointed the head of that committee by the Governor.

Already there had been several rounds of tussles between the Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat over the Governor’s decision to appoint interim vice-chancellors for 11 state universities in West Bengal, with ultimately 10 of them accepting the chairs.

The state education department opposed the appointments tooth and nail on grounds that they were made without the concurrence of the state government.

The state government had ordered for stop payments of salaries, allowances and other financial benefits to these interim vice-chancellors appointed by the Governor and the matter was dragged to the Calcutta High Court.

However, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court had ultimately upheld the decision of the Governor to appoint these interim vice-chancellors and even observed that it was the responsibility of the state government to make payments of their salaries, allowances and other financial benefits.

Political observers perceived that this fresh decision of appointing Justice Mukherjee (retired) as the interim vice-chancellor of RBI will open up another line of confrontation between the Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat.

Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha member Dr Santanu Sen claimed that the Governor is taking decisions one after another which are beyond his constitutional authority. The state BJP leadership has, however, welcomed the decision of the Governor on this count.

JusticeMukherjee (retired) started his judicial career as permanent judge with Calcutta High Court in September 2000. In April 2015 he was transferred to Karnataka High Court.

He became theacting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in June 2016. Finally in February 2016 he became the Chief Justice of the same court.