india

Updated: Apr 24, 2019 06:30 IST

The University of Mumbai’s (MU) proposed annual budget for 2019-20 includes provisions for projects and schemes that were originally proposed as far back as in 2014-15, but are yet to be realised.

Despite budget allocations over the years, little or no money has actually been spent on these projects. The budget will be presented before the university senate on Wednesday.

This year, the varsity has proposed an outlay of Rs 664.39 crore, Rs 122 crore or 22% more than last year’s budget. The budget shows a deficit of Rs 68.81 crore. A draft of the budget has been approved by the university management council and the revised budget will be presented before the university senate on Wednesday.

The proposed budget document for 2019-20, accessed by HT, includes establishing centres for gender studies, international studies, China studies, European studies, skill development, career guidance, railway research and manufacturing as well as building community colleges, a convention centre and a museum complex. All these were in past budgets, going as far back as the financial year 2014-15. While the MU has been including these and making provisions for them in subsequent budgets, hardly any money has been spent on them. For example, the university had announced setting up two skill development centres in Zarap (Sindhudurg) and Palghar in its budget for 2016-17. Last year, an outlay of Rs 5 lakh was made for each of the centres, but not a single rupee was spent. This year, the university has increased the budget for these projects to Rs 2.05 crore and Rs 1.05 crore respectively.

An official involved in the budget-making process said these projects have been stalled due to “technical” reasons. “One needs the approval of various regulatory bodies and committees to be appointed to implement the projects. Those requirements are yet to be fulfilled,” he said.

A member of the senate, which is the supreme academic body, said the university administration’s apathy is to blame for pending projects. “Every vice chancellor is merely concerned with their own plans while ignoring the projects started by their predecessors,” he said. In the last five years, the university has had four vice chancellors – Rajan Velukar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Devanand Shinde (who was appointed temporarily) and Suhas Pednekar.

The university has also been facing a fund crunch. HT had earlier reported that the university’s actual income has been dropping and the varsity has earned less than expectations over the past few years. In 2017-18, it earned Rs 195.02 crore compared to the projected Rs 538.05 crore; and Rs 173.2 crore (until October 2018) compared to Rs 491.2 crore projected for 2018-19.

The state government has also withheld 75% of salary grants due to irregularities in the MU’s appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff, making its actual income much smaller than income projected in the budget. The university is also awaiting affiliated colleges to clear their affiliation fee dues.

However, the university remains optimistic. MU registrar Ajay Deshmukh said, “I assure that these projects shall be undertaken in an expeditious manner and executed effectively.”