Dr. Kiriti Bhusan Dey assume charge as new Principal i/c of Cachar College

way2barak, Nov.11: Finally ending all speculations, Dr Kiriti Bhushan Dey, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry was nominated by the Director of Higher Education (DHE), Assam as the new Principal in-charge of Cachar College. Acting on the letter issued by the DHE Assam on 10 November, Dr Kiriti Bhushan Dey assumed charge as the Principal i/c on Friday. Suspended Principal Siddhartha Sankar Nath handed over the charge to Dr Kiriti Bhushan Dey in presence of Sashanka Sekhar Dhar. President of Governing Body of the College.

It needs mention here that Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Nath, Principal of Cachar College, Silchar was placed under suspension by the Director of Higher Education (DHE), Assam. It needs mention here that on the basis of a number of irregularities, the said Principal was show-caused by the DHE in September 2022.

Issuing an order to this effect on 1 November, 2022, Dharmakanta Mili, DHE Assam wrote, “In pursuant of Govt. letter e-file No. 235283/107, dated 01-11-2022, pending drawal of Departmental Proceeding, Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Nath, Principal of Cachar College, P.O. Silchar. Dist. Cachar, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect.” The suspension order further stated, “During the suspension period Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Nath will get subsistence allowance as per Rule. He will not move out of head quarter without the approval of the competent authority.”

A copy of the said suspension order was also marked to Sashanka Sekhar Dhar, President of the Governing Body of Cachar College. He was directed by the DHE to submit proposal for appointment of Principal-in- charge of the college in respect of the senior most faculty of the college. As such, the President GB held a meeting with the teachers of Cachar College. In that meeting, 4 senior teachers, Debashish Chakraborty, Biswajit Purkayastha, Ajoy Roy and Sumita Ghosh expressed their unwillingness in black and white to take charge as Principal in-charge. It was then that the next senior most teacher Dr Kiriti Bhushan Dey agreed to shoulder the responsibility as the Principal in-charge of the college.

It was then that the President of the Governing Body of Cachar College submitted a proposal to the DHE Assam wherein he sought approval to appointment of Dr Kiriti Bushan Dey as the Principal-in- charge of the college. Finally, on 10 November, 2022, DHE Assam signed the proposal following which Dr Dey assumed charge on 11 November as the new Principal i/c. He was asked to carry on the responsibility as the Principal i/c for a period of three months.

On Friday morning, suspended Principal Siddhartha Sankar Nath came to the college. In the presence of Sashanka Sekhar Dhar, President of the Governing Body, suspended Principal Siddhartha Sankar Nath handed over the charge to Dr Kiriti Bhushan Dey.

It needs mention here that ACTA had raised a 10-day long protest movement against the plethora of illegal activities committed by the then Principal Siddhartha Sankar Nath. On the basis of the complaint of ACTA, DHE Assam sent a 7-point show cause notice to Siddhartha Sankar Nath. From subordination to conducting irregular GB Meeting with 29 members, threatening a female teacher, disallowing a teacher to enter the campus, giving employment to his relative in a non-existent post who was further allowed to clear bills of high amount– his tale of irregularities seemed to be endless. Though Siddhartha Sankar Nath sent reply to the show cause. However, it appeared that the replies were not satisfactory, which in all probability led to his suspension.