| To 'please' Hurriyat, Ministers leave Vohra alone at KU function | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 4: In a shocking development, Governor NN Vohra had to face an awkward situation at Kashmir University during a function on April 2. The ministers invited to the event did not turn up in the wake of hartal call given by separatists.
Official sources said at least three ministers were scheduled to attend the 13th session of the J&K Science Congress, where Vohra was the chief guest.
"But to the utter shock of everyone, except for DC Srinagar and a few other middle-rung officials, the VIPs from the government side were absent," the sources said.
They said Governor had inquired about the absence of the ministers but couldn't get a convincing reply. "When the Governor could make it to the venue, why couldn't the ministers reach there?" asked a senior official.
It was reliably learnt that New Delhi has been informed about the embarrassing incident. Sources said the Raj Bhawan has taken a serious note of the "non-serious" approach of the ministers towards the protocol for such events where Governor is supposed to be the chief guest.
"If they (ministers) had decided not to attend the function in the wake of hartal, it should have been made clear in advance," said an official.
However, Governor went ahead with the inauguration and addressed the gathering. He urged scientists and researchers in the state universities to undertake research which is relevant to the problems of the state.
Governor said: "I have been having discussions with the Vice-Chancellors of all the four state universities and repeatedly stressing that unless the universities-their scientists, humanists, and all the teachers-undertake research which is related to the problems faced by the people of the state, they shall continue to exist as standalone institutions.
"If universities, particularly their scientists, get involved in the problems of the state and help the state governments to resolve them, for instance the problem of Dal Lake, problems of receding levels of ground water etc., they would be able to render invaluable support to the advancement of the welfare goals of governance." Officials said the Science Congress had been supported by the J&K State Science, Technology & Innovation Council, Government of J&K; Department of Science and Technology Government of India; Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India and the Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
"Given the importance of the event the ministers should have attended by they avoided which is something unfortunate," said an official at the KU. |
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