Avtar Bhat
KATHUA, Sept 8: The construction of much talked about Kathua Engineering College will be delayed as the foundation stone of the College which was to be laid by the Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti tomorrow has been postponed for some extraneous considerations.
To be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 26 crore the Kathua Engineering College is among the two Engineering Colleges sanctioned for the State under Centrally sponsored Rashtriya Uchsatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).
Among two colleges in the State, one was proposed for Kathua district in Jammu region while another was proposed for Safapora in Kashmir valley. Though the people were pressing hard for starting the work on the colleges and public representatives had also raised the issue a number of times as the Union HRD Ministry had set up March 2017 deadline for the completion of the construction work but due to constant delay in laying the foundation stone, the construction work of the two Engineering Colleges is likely to be delayed, sources said.
They added that the funds for the construction of two Engineering Colleges were released in September last year and till date no headway was made in laying the foundation. However, on the constant pursuance of the public representatives of the area Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti had agreed to lay foundation stone of Kathua Engineering College tomorrow afternoon and all arrangements for the same were in place.
However, wrangles within BJP and the objection made by a senior Minister from the district that he will raise protest in case his name did not figure in the name plate , the Government was constrained to postpone the function as it did not want to face any humiliation during laying of foundation stone. Instead, the Government decided to lay the foundation stone of the Jammu City College Jammu at Panchwati Mishriwala.
Official sources said the college will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 7.5 crore and it will be constructed in 18 months. The college is presently functioning at Paloura.
The foundation stone of the college will be laid by Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti who will be accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, Health and Education Minister Bali Bhagat who is also the MLA of Raipur-Domana Assembly Segment, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar and MoS Education Priya Sethi.
Sources said that there is, however, growing public resentment in delaying the foundation stone of Engineering College at Kathua and MLA Rajeev Jasrotia has taken serious exception to it. The MLA has decided to take up the issue with Union Parliamentary Minister , Education Minister of the State and Commissioner Secretary Education saying that when the College falls under Centrally Sponsored Scheme why the State Government was creating unnecessary hurdles in its construction.
Rajiv Jasrotia also took strong exception of not informing him about the proposal regarding laying of foundation stone of Kathua Engineering College till yesterday and alleged that earlier too he was not being called in such official functions while as per the Central guidelines the local representatives including an MP and MLA must be involved while laying foundation or making inauguration of any Government scheme.
However, when contacted, the authorities said that the function was postponed and the future date will be worked out soon. They said in place of Engineering College of Kathua, foundation stone of Jammu City Degree College will be laid at Mishriwala tomorrow.
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