[Assam] Plot hunt for university (The Telegraph,26.05.2008)

[Buljit Buragohain]

        Plot hunt for university
    A STAFF REPORTER       May 25: With an aim of turning Guwahati into one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education, Dispur has started scouting for a plot in and around the capital city to set up a world-class university. 
  Sources in the chief minister’s office said the revenue department last week directed the Kamrup and Kamrup (metro) districts to identify a 700-acre plot to set up the university. 
  Guwahati was shortlisted by the human resource development ministry as one of the suitable places for setting up of world-class universities. 
  Having lost the IIM race to Shillong, Dispur this time has swung into action to identify the plot, soon after getting the Centre’s nod to set up f the university early this month. 
  Those in the administration believe that the Centre could change the image of the state in a positive way and development of the education sector could help generate jobs as well as stop flight of capital to other cities. Students from the state, who can afford, usually go to other cities and metros to pursue higher education. 
  It is understood that Kamrup is better placed to find the desired plot than Kamrup (metro) district. Chandrapur and Sonapur are the areas within the metro administration with spare land, which can meet the requirements of Dispur. Both the district administrations have deputed officers to identify the plot. 
  Though the Kamrum (metro) deputy commissioner could not be contacted, the deputy commissioner of Kamrup, R.C. Jain, confirmed having received such a directive from Dispur. “We have started work on the directive. We are hopeful of finding a suitable plot,” he said. 
  Sources in both the district administrations said if the government gives its approval then private plots could also be bought in exchange of adequate compensation. “Acquiring a huge plot in and around the city will not be easy but if we get the government’s approval, then we can try and acquire private plots,” one of them said. 
  On March 28, the HRD ministry had announced the setting up of the 14 “world class universities” along with eight new IITs and seven IIMs. 
  Besides Guwahati, the 13 cities which have been chosen for setting up of the world class institutions are Pune, Calcutta, Coimbatore, Mysore, Vishakapatnam, Gandhinagar, Jaipur, Patna, Bhopal, Kochi, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar and Greater Noida.
  Education department sources said world class universities would be an updated version of central universities. “Since the HRD ministry had made it clear that establishment of the IITs, IIMs and central universities in the above cities was subject to state governments offering adequate land at suitable locations free of cost, we are not wasting any time. It is a big project,” a source in the education department said.
   
  (The Telegraph,26.05.2008)
   
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080526/jsp/guwahati/story_9319889.jsp


       
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