The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Prime varsity land saved in the nick of time

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Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Prime varsity land saved in the nick of time

S. Rajendran

News brings cheer to students, academics and former vice-chancellors of UAS, KVAFSU
For accreditation, the veterinary university has to have at least 150 acres of land

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Progress:Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Chief Justice of tthe Karnataka High Court J.S. Khehar at the construction site of the judges' colony in Hebbal, Bangalore on Tuesday.

Bangalore: The visit of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, along with Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court J.S. Khehar, to the construction site of the judges' colony on the premises of the Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. at Hebbal has brought cheer to students, senior academics and former vice-chancellors of the University of Agricultural Sciences and the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), who have been waging a battle for the past six months to protect prime land of the two universities.

It is now certain that the quarters for the judges of the Karnataka High Court will not be at the veterinary university and that the Government Order (GO) directing the university to provide 21.6 acres of its land for the purpose will soon be withdrawn. Sources in the Government told The Hindu here on Tuesday that a GO that was issued in pursuant to a decision of the State Cabinet is in the process of being withdrawn with a committee of judges agreeing to the bungalows which were earlier earmarked for Ministers. In all, 15 bungalows are under construction by the Department of Public Works. The Cabinet has to approve the withdrawal of its decision after which the GO will be withdrawn.

Nagging problem

The move to construct the judges' quarters on the veterinary university land and the opposition to it was one of several problems haunting the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government, in particular the bureaucracy headed by Chief Secretary to the State Government S.V. Ranganath, who was summoned to the High Court and questioned on the matter of providing housing to the judges. Following a decision of the Cabinet, the Government passed an order on January 5 directing the veterinary university to hand over 21.6 acres of land at Hebbal. In the same order, the Government also directed the UAS, Bangalore, to fulfil the long-pending demand of the KVAFSU to transfer 148.2 acres of land in the Main Research Station in Hebbal.

The Government started the KVAFSU in 2004, by dividing staff, research laboratories and farms between the agriculture universities in Bangalore and Dharwad and the new university. The main research station in Hebbal was declared a property of the KVAFSU under Schedule 1 of the Veterinary University Act. However, UAS Bangalore had delayed transferring it to the new university.

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