NAWABSHAH, July 23: A former vice-chancellor of the Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology (Quest) is directed to deposit Rs1.7 million in university’s bank account he is accused of misappropriating during his tenure.

University sources told the correspondent that a team of the Governor House took notice of a published news item regarding financial irregularities committed by a former vice-chancellor and took action after conducting an inquiry. The VC was found guilty of the charges leveled against him.

Interestingly, the team absolved the university’s finance director of any responsibility.

It is revealed that the former VC made the varsity’s guest house as his official residence after moving into while also retaining the bungalow he was allotted during his professorship.

He was entitled Rs70,000 each month as house rent and another Rs15,000 in utilities allowance which he kept receiving even though he paid no utility bills while living in an official guest house.

The outstanding amount from March 2008 to February 2010 against the VC came to Rs1.61 million and utility allowance at Rs3,45,000.

The finance department of the university removed a paragraph from the AGPR’s audit report which raised an objection over non-deduction of house rent and other allowances from the VC’s salary.

He is also accused of embezzling around Rs7.5 million in purchase of furniture for the Administration Block. However, neither the incumbent vice-chancellor nor the director finance bothered to take action against these allegations, sources further said.

The university has asked the former VC to deposit the amount coming in the head of house rent while refraining from issuing directives in connection to utility charges, and taking action against furniture purchase allegations, they added.

The Vice-Chancellor Dr A.B. Soomro said that the university had written to the man in question, former VC Dr Wahid Bux Soomro on being advised by the inquiry team of the Governor House to recover the house rent.

He further said that the finance director was not in a position to reject orders of the former vice chancellor but could not give a satisfactory answer as to why he failed to raise the issue even after the former VC’s transfer.

On the other hand, the former vice-chancellor Wahid Bux Soomro termed the charges leveled against him as baseless. He said that he was being victimized and denied receiving any letter or notice by the university regarding amount payment.

Nonetheless, Director Finance Fazal Shaikh confirmed the former VC’s involvement in financial irregularities and orders to deposit the amount in a month.

Meanwhile, he refused to comment when asked as to why he couldn’t unearth this irregularity during the former VC’s tenure or afterwards.