GTA approves hill university proposal, with ‘minor’ changes

EOI, DARJEELING 29 Mar 2015: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha - led Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is happy with the detail project report (DPR) prepared and presented by EdCIL (India) Limited for the proposed Central university in Darjeeling.

Officials from EdCIL, a Government of India enterprise offering consultancy services in education and human resource development, on Saturday gave a presentation of the DPR to GTA Sabhasads and the three MLAs from the hills of Darjeeling in the presence of representatives from the Sikkim University.

Executive GTA Sabha member in-charge of the education department and GJM general secretary Roshan Giri on Sunday said: “Officials from EdCIL India entrusted to prepare a DPR for a Central university in the Hills gave a presentation yesterday. Overall we are satisfied with the DPR but we made some observations and accordingly have suggested some minor changes”.

The GTA Sabhasad said that the next presentation would be presented after 10 days. “The next DPR presentation would be shown to us after 10 days with the minor changes that has been suggested by us. After that the GTA will submit the DPR to the ministry of human resource and development for its approval and sanction of funds,” Giri said.

EdCIL India Director (corporate planning) K.L.Sarkar, and chief general manager (projects) V.V.Murari gave the presentation informed the GJM leader.

The demand for a Central university by GJM is included in the 2011 GTA agreement. Over period the demand has been placed in various levels of bipartite and tripartite talks with both the state government and Cebtre by GJM.

On March 19, a GJM delegation led by party president Bimal Gurung had met minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha in Delhi for financial grant for formation of a central university in the Darjeeling Hills. The delegation had also submitted a memorandum to the minister apprising him about the systematic oppression of the Hills by succeeding Bengal governments despite Darjeeling’s reputation as an internationally claimed education hub.

To set up the Central university, the GTA has identified 500 acres presently under the Cinchona plantation in Mungpo. However, the project cost has not been estimated yet. “The land is available in Mungpo. The area is sufficient to house all the infrastructures required for any top central university. However, the cost of the proposed project cannot be divulged at the moment,” said Giri.