Extend full support to CUK in setting up of varsity at Tulmulla: Div Com to deptt heads

Ganderbal: Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, P K Pole Saturday directed the district administration Ganderbal and all the heads of the Civil, Electric, Irrigation and Flood Control, Revenue, Jal Shakti, and other departments to extend full support and cooperation to the authorities in the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) for the establishment of permanent structures at the designated campus at Tulmulla here.

“The establishment of Central University of Kashmir is a mega and important project as thousands of students from Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the Country will be pursuing their higher education in it. Our priority should be to extend fullest support in their endeavour of setting up of the varsity at the permanent campus,” P K Pole said while chairing a meeting of the senior officials of all the concerned and allied departments and the university officials regarding the setting up of the university and allotment of land.

According to a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), he expressed strong resentment and dismay over the lackadaisical attitude of some central government agencies while executing the works in the Central University of Kashmir.

P K Pole said that instead of these outside agencies, the university has to seek help and cooperation from the local experts and engineers who are very well versed with the geography and topography of the area.

He assured full help from UT to strengthen the varsity’s campus development wing and extend help under various government schemes for construction of roads, water supply and electricity. He also assured to provide more land to the varsity and asked DDC Ganderbal to take necessary steps for the same.

Pole also asked the university to conduct fresh survey and prepare a new master plan accordingly, adding that university should now focus on horizontal expansion rather than vertical constructions.

He gave on the spot instructions to the departments for road widening, dredging and to remove the encroachment of the land, done by certain individuals and asked the concerned to come up with the Detailed Project Reports immediately. He also assured that the administration will look into the matter of providing additional land for construction of utilities for the university.

Welcoming the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and District Development Commissioner, Ganderbal, Shafqat Iqbal and others, CUK Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir gave comprehensive details about the journey of the university since its inception in the year 2009 on both the academic and infrastructure front.

He said that despite facing several issues and problems on account of functioning from multiple campuses first in Srinagar district and now in Ganderbal district, the university has made a mark on the academics front and is currently offering 35 Postgraduate, Under Graduate /Five year Integrated, Research and Diploma programmes, adding that when compared with the institutions established with it, the Central University of Kashmir is marching ahead of them on academics.

However, the Vice Chancellor expressed anguish over the university’s inability to construct the permanent structures, according to the already drafted and approved master plan at Tulmulla, citing several reasons, especially the low load bearing capacity of the major chunk of land, transferred by the Government to the university.

He said the soil testing report submitted by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) was faulty and the university has already asked the investigating agencies including the Anti Corruption Bureau and Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the same and book the culprits.

Prof, Mehraj ud Din Mir said that several Executing Agencies including NBCC and NPCC have also failed to adhere to the timelines for construction of Pre Engineered Buildings. CUK VC urged the Divisional Commissioner to direct all the concerned departments of the State to provide all the possible and necessary help.

Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar in his detailed presentation gave information about the progress of establishment of the CUK on the infrastructural front at the designated campus in Tulmulla and the impediments and hiccups faced by the university in this regard.

He said the Campus Development wing of the university has successfully constructed G+0 structure in Tulmulla and is presently engaged in the construction of G+1 structures. Prof Zargar urged the Divisional Commissioner to direct all the departments to provide immediate support to the Campus Development Wing of the university in the ongoing constructions of the permanent structures and other allied works—(KNO

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