Utkal VC’s Royal Bed, Stolen Grills: CAG Exposes Fund Misuse

Misappropriation at Utkal University

A troubling Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, presented in the Odisha Assembly, has exposed gross misappropriation of funds by the former Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University. Funds allocated under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for upgrading university infrastructure and student facilities were allegedly spent on personal luxuries.

Lavish Spending on Vice-Chancellor’s Residence

Between 2015 and 2020, the university received ₹18 crore for renovations of libraries, laboratories, hostels, and toilets. Shockingly, ₹6.48 lakh was spent on the Vice-Chancellor’s residence, including grand furniture, luxurious sofas, and a royal-style bed. Additionally, ₹37.08 lakh was spent on DG sets and ₹21.49 lakh on signboards, diverting funds meant for academic improvements.

Misuse of ICT and Equipment Allocations

The report highlights improper use of ₹1.38 crore allocated for an ICT lab, which was abandoned. Instead, 181 desktops and 88 laptops were distributed to staff, with 16 laptops unused for two years and 2 missing. At the university’s rural campus in Chandikhol, Jajpur, a ₹5.75 crore building for entrepreneurship and global education lacks electricity, with fittings and grills reportedly stolen due to negligence.

Widespread Financial Irregularities

Similar irregularities were noted at Biju Patnaik University of Technology and Rama Devi Women’s University, including a ₹55 crore cluster university project in Khallikote, Ganjam, which failed, resulting in a wastage of ₹56.81 lakh.

Accountability in Question

These revelations have sparked public outrage, raising serious concerns about financial accountability in Odisha’s higher education institutions and questioning the destination and use of public funds meant for student development.