Ex-GU VC Neerja Gupta resigns as PMJVK project PI amid fund row; returns ₹14.59 crore

Ahmedabad: The controversy surrounding alleged financial irregularities involving former Gujarat University vice-chancellor Neerja Gupta has intensified, with Gupta resigning as the Principal Investigator (PI) of the university’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) project. The development comes after questions were raised over more than ₹16.53 crore in grant funds being deposited into a bank account opened in her name.

Of the amount deposited into the account, ₹14.59 crore has now been returned to Gujarat University through demand drafts, according to the university administration. The university has also directed officials to submit audited accounts detailing the utilisation of the remaining amount.

Gupta sent her resignation as the PMJVK project PI to the university registrar by email. Gujarat University in-charge vice-chancellor Dr Jagdish Joshi said the university had received more than ₹16 crore as the first instalment of a ₹40 crore PMJVK grant sanctioned for the project.

According to Joshi, ₹14,59,19,772 was returned to the university through demand drafts, with the amount credited to the project account on September 10. The university has sought details of the expenditure of the remaining amount of around ₹2 crore and directed the chief accounts officer to submit the necessary records.

The controversy centres on a separate bank account opened for the PMJVK project. The account was linked to the grant and was opened in Gupta’s name when she was the project PI. The names of computer operator Parth Panchal and temporary accountant Harshaben were also reportedly added to the account.

The university administration has raised questions over the manner in which the account was operated, stating that, as per the applicable rules, such accounts were required to have the names of the vice-chancellor, registrar and chief accounts officer. The administration has also sought an audited statement from chartered accountants for the project.

The university said Gupta had continued as PI on three projects even after completing her tenure as vice-chancellor. She has now resigned only from the PMJVK project, while remaining associated with two other projects — the IDSR Brain Mapping Lab and the Bahuratna Vasundhara project. Registrar Piyush Patel is the co-PI on these projects.

Records related to the Brain Mapping Lab project have also come under scrutiny. Questions have also been raised over the role of registrar Piyush Patel, with allegations that several works worth crores of rupees were approved without the knowledge of members of the university syndicate.

The issue triggered a protest by NSUI workers at Gujarat University on Wednesday, with protesters demanding Patel’s resignation. NSUI has also announced a university-wide shutdown on September 24 in protest against the alleged irregularities.

Meanwhile, the alleged financial irregularities are being examined by a special investigation committee headed by a retired High Court judge. The committee has been tasked with examining decisions taken by Gupta during her tenure, the utilisation and accounting of grants, alleged irregularities in recruitment and the university’s accounts over a four-year period. DeshGujarat