PATNA, Aug. 12 -- The Patna high court has directed the vice chancellors (VCs) of three universities to comply with the court's direction issued years back on November 7, 2005 regarding retirement dues of petitioner Ram Chandra Prasad Yadav, an employee of the then Rajendra Agriculture University (now Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University). The court on August 4 also observed that "the VCs, who hold the supreme position in the universities, can solely be responsible for the deteriorating standard of education -- both technical as well as general -- due to their inaction". The observation came from the bench of Justice Purnendu Singh, while hearing the petition of Yadav, who could not get his retirement dues due to continued delay in fixing his salary despite Patna HC order in 2005 itself and his several representations to institutions like Bihar Agriculture University (Sabour) and Bihar Animal Sciences University where he worked due to transfer. After connecting the registrars of the three institutions in virtual mode on August 4, and on their assurance, the court fixed August 22 as the next date for hearing. "Considering the grievance of the petitioner, I have no alternative, but to direct the VCs of the three universities to comply with the 2005 HC direction. The VC of the Bihar Animal Sciences University holds the responsibility to make payment to the petitioner on account of difference of pay-scale and the difference of pension on the basis of applicable pay-scale of Rs.4,000-6,000 and all the consequential benefits within a period of two weeks," the court observed. The bench made it clear that "in case if he finds that any of the VC of the other two universities not cooperating with him, then before the present writ petition is notified, he can make application before the court, so that it can proceed against those erring VCs". "The deteriorating standard of education is known to everyone and the persons, who chair the supreme position of the university, because of such inaction, can solely be responsible for such a situation. In such circumstances, the VC must hold his responsibility to prepare himself to chair the position or in case he finds that he is not capable, this court finds that he is the one, who can decide the best," the bench said. The petitioner was posted at Rajendra Agriculture University, and, thereafter, he was transferred to Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, Bhagalpur. "The request for payment of salary in pay-scale of Rs.4,000-6,000/- with effect from November 17, 2005 of one Chatur Kumar, who was appointed much after the petitioner, was admitted by the VC of the Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour in 2014 but no consideration was taken by the at the relevant point of time to comply with the 2005 court order in respect of the petitioner," the court said. The VC of the Bihar Animal Sciences University from where the petitioner had superannuated on March 31, 2017 too had recognised that the petitioner is required to be paid pension after determining his claim on the basis of the pay-scale applicable in his case. "The petitioner has faced hardship by the inaction on the part of the officers of the universities. The University instead of correcting its action, delayed implementing the order of the court putting the petitioner to suffer irreparable loss for about more than twenty years," the bench added....