Another panel formed to pinpoint blame in Delhi University radiation fiasco

Amid protests from the teachers' representatives, Delhi University's apex decision making body today decided to institute a three-member panel to further pin-point blame in the April radiation exposure case.
 
The move came after the Executice Council (EC) discussed the report of a University-instituted inquiry on the disposal of radioactive material from its chemistry department.

The inquiry, which was set up in May after a Gamma irradiator from the varsity lab found its way to a scrap market leading to radiation exposure which left one person dead and several others ill, was completed in July but the report was presented before the EC only on Friday. 

The EC meeting was adjourned on Friday following chaotic scenes, and the mood was no better today. 

As teachers' representative protested against taking up of the report which they had termed as an "eyewash", the council decided that another 3-member panel would be set up to look into further details of the episode and pinpoint the blame.

It was also decided that the report by SC Pancholi-led committee would be sent to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which has barred the use of radioactive material in DU labs, Proctor Gurmeet Singh said.

Also the council decided that five professors who have been named in it would not be handed over any administrative responsibilities until they are cleared in the issue, he said.

The inquiry report, which sources said has somewhat puts a collective blame on members of the department of chemistry over a period for the episode, has been rejected by the teachers' representatives of the EC.

The report compiles a series of lapses since 1993 that contributed to the faulty bidding process. The vice chancellor, is however, more or less given a clean chit, they said.

The teachers representatives allege that  the members of the inquiry committee were handpicked by the vice-chancellor and were never expected to bring out an unbiased picture.

"Our position has been clear. We do not recognise the legality of this committee as this was not approved by the EC, plus we do not recognise Prof Pental's right to chair the meeting of the EC as his term has expired and he has no authorisation from the Visitor to continue," said Prof Rajib Ray, an EC member.

The teachers representatives rubbished the report, terming it as "half-baked".

"The members of this committee were handpicked by Dr Pental on the basis of their personal proximity to him and to Prof Parmar, the then Head of the chemistry department," the Delhi University Teachers Association said in a statement later in the evening.

"This unholy nexus is clear from the report which blatantly ignores and distorts documented facts... to whitewash the nefarious role played by the combination of the VC, PVC, HOD (Chemistry) and Dean (Sciences) on the scrap deal," it said.

The origin of radioactive Cobalt-60 found in west Delhi's Mayapuri in April was traced to Delhi University's chemistry department where it was lying unused since the last 25 years.

Delhi University constituted a committee headed by Pancholi, retired professor from Department of Physics and Astrophysics, to probe the disposal of radioactive material Cobalt-60 from its campus.

The other members on the committee were scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).