Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: Jammu University has sought intervention of Governor N N Vohra for vacation of its Old Campus near Canal Road from the Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET), Jammu to accommodate the students of Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA) who are virtually on the streets for the last few months and facing threat of an academic session loss.
Notwithstanding the University Council decision, the GCET authorities have refused to accommodate IMFA in the JU Old Campus claiming no space available for the same. Owing to the situation, the IMFA has been forced to run its nine departments as well as administrative office from six room of a rented accommodation in a private BEd College near Channi Rama.
And after January 28, these six rooms are also feared to get evicted from IMFA by the private college, which has served an ultimatum for the same. As neither GCET is ready to accommodate them nor the JU is looking for some other option, the current academic session of the IMFA students is likely to be washed away owing to no regular studies and practical work.
JU Vice-Chancellor Prof M P S Ishar has apprised the Governor N N Vohra, who is also Chancellor of JU, about the situation and sought his intervention to get the Old Campus vacated for housing IMFA, sources informed the Excelsior.
The issue is little bit complicated as the Old Campus is no more property of the varsity but the Department of Higher Education, which had purchased it from JU in mid nineties, sources explained.
The trouble erupted last year after students of IMFA resorted to series of protests for shifting of the college to some safer place from the Poonch House building, which had allegedly become unsafe owing to its bad condition.
After assessing the situation of Poonch House complex and considering the demand of students, the Jammu University ultimately shifted the IMFA to a rented accommodation in a private BEd College near Channi Rama in September last.
However, within weeks, the BEd College management started asking the IMFA authorities to evict the rented premises owing to shortage of space for its own. On December 6, the college management allegedly got some rooms forcefully evacuated from the possession of IMFA.
Since then, the IMFA is running its nine departments and Principal’s office as well as administrative office from only six rooms resulting into irregular classes and practical work. The situation is feared to result into loss of the current academic session of the hapless IMFA students.
However, on the other hand, sources in the GCET administration claim that they have no space in the University Old Campus were Government Degree College Paloura and some courses of SPMR College of Commerce are already being run.
“We (GCET) may face de-recognition by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) if the administration block is evacuated for housing IMFA since the new campus at Chak Bhalwal is not yet fully completed,” sources added.
When contacted, JU VC, Prof M P S Ishar admitted that he had approached the Governor for getting the issue resolved.
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