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| Four years since release of 50% funds, JU off-site campuses still under construction | | | Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, May 15: Attribute it to the apathetical attitude of the state Government towards the Jammu University, coupled with the incompetence of the JU administration, four years after it received half of the funds for the construction of its off- site campuses, most of which are still in await.
Demand for the establishment of satellite campuses of Jammu University was raised in 2006 during Amitabh Matoo's tenure as Vice Chancellor of the varsity and 50% of Rs. 117 Cr were received during the tenure of Varun Sahni, the next VC in 2010 but JU is yet to acquire land in some cases.
The proposal for the construction of off campuses was modified from two to eleven owing to political pressure from various quarters, which included Udhampur, Kathua, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Billawar, Doda, Surankote, Patnitop, Poonch, Ramnagar and Reasi for which an amount of Rs. 117 Cr was approved by the UGC and half of which i.e. Rs. 58.5 Cr was released in 2010 but till date none of these campuses is fully functional.
Co-coordinator campuses, Dawood Iqbal when contacted admitted that the funds were released in 2010 during Varun Sahni's tenure as VC and said, "Construction work is going on for all campuses except Surankote, Patnitop and Doda for which state Government is yet to acquire the land".
"For Patnitop campus of JU, about 300 kanals of land has been identified and Rs. One Crore was sanctioned but as the JU authorities have decided to start some subjects related to adventure tourism, so the funds sanctioned are not enough for the construction work".
He said for the off-site campus of JU at Udhampur, a piece of land about 350 Kanal has been identified but having some pine trees there, the Forest department is demanding money from JU authorities which in fact is the responsibility of State Government.
Similarly, in 2007 students raised a demand of central AC library on the pattern of other well equipped universities of the country which the then VC Amitabh Matoo admitted by receiving the memorandum of the demands, but again the project has been shelved for now.
For similar other demands of the students including Bachelor in honour courses and innovative Universities concept are yet to see the light of the day due to failure of JU administration and State Government respectively. |
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