Tribal university: Onus on Centre
Over 169.35 acres was handed over to the project officer, ITDA, 115.09 acres of assigned government land and 50 acres of forest land
WARANGAL: The Tribal University set to come up in Mulugu district is not making any progress despite the state government providing the required land and infrastructure, including an extent of 335.04 acres of land at Jakaram. Approximately, 169.35 acres of vacant land was handed over to the project officer, ITDA, 115.09 acres of assigned government land and 50 acres of forest land.
After the land was given to the Ministry of Human Resources, a detailed project report was prepared and the department of expenditure was supposed to hold the Committee on Establishment Expenditure/ Public Investment Board (CEE/PIB) but it is yet to take place.
Secretary, higher education, government of India visited the proposed site on December 12, 2018. Chief Secretary of the tribal welfare department conducted a follow-up meeting for budgetary allocations of Rs 15 crore for resumption of assigned land and Rs 290.50 lakh for a temporary campus at Youth Training Centre (YTC) in Jakaram.
Former Mahabubabad MP Prof Azmeera Seetharam Naik, who has been striving for the university long before Telangana State was formed, stressed that to fulfill the purpose of the university, 80 per cent of the seats must be reserved for tribal students and the remaining should be open.
“The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University set up in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh has a reservation system as per the UGC norms and gives only 7.5 percent for tribals, which is ridiculous. Hence, the university in Mulugu must not repeat it. In fact, local tribals should be given preference while filling up teaching and non-teaching posts,” Seetharam said.
He said despite the state fulfilling all the requirements, the Centre is yet to take the forward step.
“The BJP leaders are questioning the state about the university to mislead the people. They must urge the Centre to expedite matter,” he said.