Ahmedabad: A fresh controversy has erupted at Gujarat University over alleged financial irregularities in construction and consultancy work. The issue centres around the continued appointment of a single consultant agency over the past several years and the approval of additional payments despite delays in project completion.According to sources, multiple infrastructure projects at the university were assigned fixed budgets and deadlines. As per norms, agencies failing to complete work on time are liable for penalties. However, in this case, projects handled through the consultant agency were not completed within the stipulated time. Instead of imposing penalties, the university reportedly approved additional expenditure worth crores of rupees to complete the work, leading to significant financial losses.The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged protests on campus, demanding immediate blacklisting of the consultant agency along with a couple of construction firms. They also called for halting any pending payments to these agencies.The matter was earlier raised in syndicate meetings, where several members expressed strong opposition to the consultant agency. Although the current vice-chancellor signalled removal of the agency, it continues to operate.University authorities, however, have denied any wrongdoing, stating that all procedures, including e-tendering, were followed and no extra payments were made.
