Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 24: In a significant development, the Government of India has sanctioned a special grant of Rs 107.25 crores for the upcoming campus of Central University of Jammu at village Bagla near Raya-Suchani, district Samba.
This one-time special grant has been sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Road Transport, Highway and Shipping, to cover all the three phases of four lanning of 10 km long road to the Campus from National Highway at Raya Morh.
According to the Union Ministry letter, dated September 12, 2015, a one-time special grant of Rs 107.25 crores is sanctioned in favour of Central University of Jammu to cover all the three phases of road expansion and construction of Railway fly-over enabling the CUJ to become a full-fledged residential campus.
Minister of State in Prime Minister Office, Dr Jitendra Singh is learnt to have played most crucial role in getting this one-time special grant sanctioned from the Central Government, which was submitted a revised Detailed Project Report through the Department of Roads and Buildings, J&K Government, for four-lanning of the link road from Raya Morh to the Campus premises.
Pertinent to mention that the Road, Water and Electricity infrastructure to the Central Universities across the country are required to be provided by the respective State Government and not the Central Government or its Human Resources Development Ministry.
The Government of J&K had earlier earmarked Rs 27 crores only for the expansion and construction of this link road from Raya Morh to the CUJ Campus, that too under the category of second priority, which means it would have taken years to get the funds released and the road, double lane, prepared.
According to the official sources, the issue of road expansion was recently taken up by the CUJ Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ashok Aima with the State Government as well as the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh who took personal initiative in this regard. Following a verbal assurance of the Union Minister, Project Report of the link road was revised and a fresh DPR for four-lanning of the road from Raya Morh to the Campus was submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport, Highway & Shipping, through Roads and Building Department of the State Government, last month, sources explained and added that the Centre acceded the request and sanctioned the said amount without any hassle.
When contacted, CUJ Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ashok Aima confirmed that the Ministry of Road Transport, Highway & Shipping has sanctioned the special grant of Rs 107.25 crores for four-lanning of the road to the Central University Campus and the work is likely to start as soon as the funds are released. He also informed that the pace of construction work of the upcoming Campus at Bagla near Raya is being speeded up so that all the Departments of CUJ may be shifted to the new campus as early as possible. “After the Environment Sciences and Education Department, we are hopeful to shift four more Departments to the campus by November this year,” Prof Aima added.
The Central University of Jammu came into existence on August 8, 2011, with the appointment of the Dr S S Bloeria as the first Vice-Chancellor. The first academic session (2011-2012) commenced with three Post Graduate courses in English, Economics and Applied Mathematics at Temporary Academic Block-I (TAB-I) at Sidhra bypass road, Jammu. In the next academic session (2012-2013), five PG Courses were added: Computer Science, Educational Studies, Environmental Sciences, Human Resource Management and Travel & Tourism Management in Temporary Academic Block (TAB-II) at Sainik Colony Extension. Since the third session (2013-2014) all the departments are functioning from TAB at Sainik Colony. Four new Post Graduate courses were introduced in the academic session (2014-2015): National Security Studies; Public Policy & Public Administration; Social Work and Mass Communication & New Media. The University also offers Integrated M-Phil-Ph D programme in eight subjects.
The University has been carrying out its administrative functions from its upcoming campus at Bagla, Raya-Suchani, which is at an approximate distance of 25 kms from Jammu.
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