Oppn MLCs walk-out from LC on IIT for Kashmir

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 17: All the National Conference members and Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga today walked out from the Upper House on the issue of IIT for Kashmir.
The issue regarding steps taken by Government with regard to IIT in Kashmir was taken up in the Legislative Council  by the National Conference member Showkat Hussain Ganai. Minister of State for Education, Tourism   and Culture  Priya Sethi was responding.
The Minister claimed that establishment of national level institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and National Institute of Technology (NIT) in different states of the country is the prerogative of the Union Government.
She said in J&K the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (UMHRD), has sanctioned National Institute of Technology (NIT) for Srinagar and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) for Jammu.
She further informed that off Campus of IIM, Jammu has been sanctioned for Kashmir Division and State has also requested UMHRD to sanction off Campus of Jammu IIT for Kashmir Division.
Ganai asked in the Upper House a resolution was passed with the demand of separate IIT for Kashmir. “What was the progress in that and what efforts have been made by State Government.”?
The Minister replied that they have written to the Union Government and  they will pursue the case. She also maintained that J&K is one State and students from any region can take admission in Jammu or Srinagar Institutions. The members should not talk of regional divide as the State was one.
This remark irked the members from Kashmir. Another NC member Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Congress member Ghulam Nabi Monga also stood up and said that minister should not use such words of regional bias. Lone said  it was not question of regional bias. The minister should tender apology for her remarks. Showkat Ganai also pressed that minister should seek apology. Monga said they were not against IIT in Jammu but Kashmir should also get its share. He said if there can be two Central Universities in the State then what is problem to have separate IIT for Kashmir.
The Chairman intervened and said it was not the matter of any apology and he went ahead with next question, telling that minister has given her detailed reply.
All the NC members including Showkat Ganai, Qaiser Lone, Ali Mohd Dar, Aga Sayed Mehmood and Congress member Ghulam Nabi Monga then staged walk out at around 11.45 pm loding their protest.
Replying to another question of Aga Syed Mahmood Mosavi, the Minister for Education Priya Sethi said that State Government has recently approved the opening of 17 new Degree Colleges in the State.
The Minister informed that the newly sanctioned colleges shall be established in the uncovered areas of the State. She informed that the department has set in the process to identify the places for the opening of new colleges so that academic activities are started as soon as possible.
Priya Sethi said that the new colleges would be opened in a particular area, subject to the availability of requisite land, preferably State land and feasibility of demand which also includes a sufficient number of feeding Higher Secondary Schools. The priority shall be accorded to uncovered Assembly Segments which are presently deprived of the facility.
Pardeep Sharma and Surinder Kumar Choudhary raised supplementary questions.
Replying to a separate question of Mohammad Muzaffar Parray, the Minister informed that Kashmir University is offering transport facility to its students from Srinagar to Baramulla and vice versa on a nominal fare, adding that a large number of students of North Campus are availing the facility. She informed that University has created hostel facility at North Campus and same shall be operational from the next academic session.
The Minister informed that the University has made temporary arrangements of accommodation for female students of the Campus in the hostel of Government Degree College Boys Baramulla, while as male students of the Campus have been accommodated in a private building hired by the University.
“The Campus is a full-fledged Satellite Campus of the University offering several courses for last one decade and does not intend to shift its students to the main campus,” the Minister said and added that University is in a continuous endeavour to upgrade the infrastructure/facilities at all its satellite campuses to make them more student friendly.

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