Tocklai chief to quit post

JORHAT, March 3: Director-general of Tocklai experimental station A.N. Mukhopadhyay submitted his resignation yesterday. Mukhopadhyay joined as the director-general of the oldest and the largest tea research centre in the world eight months ago. He served as the vice-chancellor of Assam Agricultural University here before joining the Tocklai station. "It is not a resignation letter. I have put forward some conditions to the board of management to continue in my present post," Mukhopadhyay said. However, Tea Research Association chairman Aboni Borgohain said the director-general expressed his inability to continue at the present post following curtailment of "some of his powers". Though Mukhopadhyay's resignation is yet to be accepted, Borgohain said the final decision will be taken after consulting the board of management in Calcutta. Borgohain, who is also the chairman of the Assam sub-committee of Indian Tea Association, will fly to Calcutta soon. "The board of management has cut down some of his powers after detecting irregularities in accounts," Borgohain said. Mukhopadhyay also flouted disciplinary norms, he added. Inquiry into the irregularities are on, Borgohain said. The director-general will not be spared "stern action" if he is found guilty in the irregularities case, he added. "The director-general was issued a show cause soon after the 33rd Tocklai conference on February 12 and 13," he said. Mukhopadhyay was dogged with controversy during his tenure as the vice-chancellor of the Assam Agricultural University. A section of the university's teaching staff had alleged that he was involved in financial irregularities and misuse of power. The House committee of the state Assembly, headed by Dilip Saikia Sonowal, reportedly detected financial irregularities at the university during the tenure of Mukhopadhyay. The report was submitted to Governor Lt. Gen. (retd) S.K. Sinha, who is also the chancellor of the university.