Shillong, Mar 17: Three statutory bodies of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU)—NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA), NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU), and NEHU Non-Teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA)—have urged Acting Vice Chancellor Nirmalendu Saha to withhold the salaries of Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla, Registrar Omkar Singh, and Deputy Registrar Amit Gupta over their prolonged absence from duty.

In a letter to Saha on March 13, the associations warned that if their demand was not met, they would take two days of earned leave (EL), travel at their discretion, and work remotely while continuing to receive their salaries.

The groups alleged that Shukla had been on unauthorized leave since November 1, 2024, and had not reported to the NEHU headquarters in Shillong for 130 consecutive days. They claimed that he had exhausted all his earned leave before his absence, calling his prolonged leave an act of “absconding.”

Citing the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, the associations stated that action must be taken against government officials who remain absent without approval or overstay their authorized leave period. They urged the Acting VC to withhold pay and allowances for the absent officials and initiate disciplinary action under the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.

Additionally, the associations demanded that NEHU prevent the misuse of its guesthouses in Shillong, Tura, and Guwahati by the VC during his leave, insisting that he must personally bear his accommodation and travel expenses.

The statutory bodies called on the NEHU administration to strictly adhere to the NEHU Act, statutes, ordinances, and Government of India regulations to ensure discipline on the Shillong and Tura campuses.