Patna, Dec 7 (PTI) The Bihar assembly today passed by voice vote two bills, earlier cleared by the House but returned by Governor Devanand Konwar without assent. HRD Minister P K Shahi said the Governor had returned the two bills expressing apprehension about the autonomy of universities and politicization over the appointment of vice-chancellors. He was speaking in the House after introducing the Patna University (Amendment) Bill, 2011, and the Bihar State University Bill, 2011, which were passed by voice vote. Shahi said although the state government was duty-bound to monitor utilization of funds given by it to universities towards salaries and related expenditure, it had no inclination to interfere in their autonomous functioning. The HRD Minister said the state government had the right to monitor the utilization of its resources by universities and the the two legislations were an endeavour in this direction. Earlier participating in the debate, the Leader of the Opposition Abdul Bari Siddique regretted the manner in which the Governor returned the bills without approval and rejected the grounds cited by him for not giving his assent.
