"Reports in the media that the annual budget for the Dr BR Ambedkar (Central) Library of JNU has been reduced from Rs 8 crore to Rs 1.70 crore are completely baseless," JNU Finance Officer Heeraman Tiwari said in a statement on allegations about reduction in library funds. Refuting the varsity's students' union allegations about reduction in the library funds, the administration said the university has been allocating to the library every year an amount of Rs 1.70 crore for the books and journals from its grant received annually from the UGC.
Read: JNUSU Accuses Varsity Administration Of Not Releasing Pending Scholarship Fund
Last week, the students' union had accused the varsity administration of cutting down library funds from Rs 8 crore to Rs 1.7 crore.
"However, in the year 2012, the UGC gave one time bulk grant to JNU under the 12th Plan for five years from which an extra amount was allocated for the next five years. Now that the 12th plan has ended the library is running with its regular annual grant," it further said. However, the JNU has already made a request to the UGC to release additional funds to meet the increasing requirements of the library.
Read: JNU Plans To Close Dhabas Over Hygiene Concerns, Mulls Food Courts
The JNUSU accused the financial officer of the varsity for hiding that the UGC had released Rs 20 crore.
"The case is clear-- library used to have an annual budget of Rs 7-8 crore which administration used to spend from various sources. Now, if one source has dried up or closed, isn't it the responsibility of the administration to push for alternatives as soon as possible? "It is important to note that JNU VC Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar is a member of UGC, so if UGC has cut down the funding why didn't he dissent then? Or was he part of the decision taken to reduce funding for library?" JNUSU President N. Sai Balaji said in a statement.
(With Inputs From Agencies)
Click here for more Education News
