IIT-Kharagpur Ask for HRD Minister Opinion on Laptop Issue

New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, has asked Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister if laptops can be bought under the Cumulative Professional Development Allowance (CPDA) scheme. IIT-Kharagpur refuses to die down and sought the opinion of the HRD ministry as controversy on the pricing of hundreds of laptops to be bought by the institute.

Moreover, under the Ministry's fully-funded scheme, each faculty member is given Rs 3 lakh in a block of three years. However, since the scheme started late and the first three-year block is ending in September, a bulk of the sum has remained unutilized.

While IIT-Kharagpur registrar T K Ghosal claims all formalities have been put on hold till the ministry responds, the institute approved rate of Rs 1.07 lakh per laptop has not been scrapped yet. He also added that it depends on the clarification they get from the ministry.

It is also not known why IIT-Kharagpur first decided to allow purchase of laptops under CPDA scheme, and later approached the ministry. As per sources, the institute approved rate contract for laptops in last November that is valid till October 2011.

Also, Rajeev Kumar, professor of computer science, who wanted to purchase an Intel i7-740QM processor-based laptop, for an HRD project separate from CPDA scheme found out discrepancies in rates while conducting a trade enquiry. He figured out that if such a laptop is purchased directly from one of the companies, it would cost only Rs 79,000, whereas the IIT approved rate was Rs 1.07 lakh for a similar model.

Mr Kumar also asked his son, who works in Hyderabad, to get the rate. He, too, got a similar quotation. IIT administration calls it a conflict of interest, and alludes that the laptop, which Kumar wanted to buy was for his son. Besides, the deputy registrar even sent documents, including cellphone bill of Kumar's son and quotation of laptop bearing the Hyderabad address. Kumar vehemently denies the allegations.

(Source: TOI)