Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, July 8: The construction work on permanent campus of Central University of Kashmir (CUK) at Ganderbal district remained incomplete despite passing of eight years since the prestigious Varsity was established in 2009 and it has resulted in lapse of funds.
After Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) allotted the Central varsity to Kashmir, the State Government was asked to provide land free of cost to the University. Accordingly, 4024 kanals and 2 marlas (503 Acres) land was handed over to Central University Kashmir at Tulmulla village of Ganderbal district in year 2011 and 2012.
However, from the first day, the preliminary construction faced several hindrances and resulted in delays. Among other reasons, the preliminary construction and survey works were affected due to poor quality of soil. The site, according to a Government official, has a low load bearing capacity and is traverse with many water channels. He said that the water table is close to the surface with many springs sprouting from it. “In simple words, it is a marshy land,” he said.
The dispute between the locals whose land was acquired for construction and Government also hindered the construction as they were seeking compensation and jobs. The official said that the delay was also due to lackadaisical approach of the executing agency. CUK Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mehraj-ud-Din Mir told Excelsior that the issue between locals and Government has now been sorted out and they hope that the construction of pre-engineered blocks would be completed by the end of July.
“The National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC) – the present project management consultancy – has assured that they will handover two pre-engineering blocks to us this month. There was delay in the construction of these blocks due to prevailing circumstances,” he said, adding that the delay in the construction of the permanent campus has resulted in lapse of Central funds.
“We were not in a position to utilize the funds under plan. It is a fact that the funds remained non-utilized,” the VC said. The delay in the construction has resulted in the non-utilisation of funds released by the University Grants Commission under General Development Assistance (GDA) in its 12th Allocation Plan for the past three financial years.
The CUK has utilised only Rs 55 crore of the total Rs 152 crore from the financial year 2013-14 to 2015-16 while the Central University of Jammu (CUJ) has shown a funds expenditure of 80 per cent, released during the same period. Also, the CUJ has spent Rs 227 crore of the allocated Rs 347 crore under the 12th Allocation Plan. The CUK VC said that the varsity is functioning right now from five separate rented accommodations in Srinagar and on its outskirts.
“It is not possible for us to move our departments to Ganderbal if two pre-engineered blocks are completed. We can move partially. The work completion will take time because the land, as we all know, is marshy and the executing agency will have to dig down deep,” he said. The VC added that the CUK has been performing well despite incomplete work on its permanent campus and functioning from rented accommodations. “Academically, we are on top,” he added.
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