Dec 27 deadline to complete land transfer process for Central varsity

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 17

Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj has set December 27 as the deadline for officials of the departments concerned to complete formalities for the transfer of land to Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP). 

Bhardwaj, along with Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Kishan Kapoor, on Saturday held a meeting with the departments concerned to review the project.

The minister, while addressing mediapersons, said all officials had been directed to complete formalities by December 27, failing which action would be taken against them. 

He said after the deadline, the government would write to the Centre to suggest a date for laying the foundation stone for the permanent university campus. 

The government had proposed 303 hectares for the CUHP campus. While 24 hectares of non-forest land at Jadrangal in the Dharamsala Assembly constituency has been transferred in the name of the CUHP, the remaining 279 hectares are forestland. 

The case for the transfer of forestland has to be prepared by the state Forest Department and submitted to the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests. 

Sources said the state government or the CUHP would have to shell out Rs 90 crore to the Forest Department for the transfer of 279 hectares.

At Dehra, 200 acres have already been transferred in the name of the CUHP. The government has deposited Rs 15 crore with the Forest Department for the transfer of forestland in the name of the university. 

Bhardwaj said forest officials had been asked to prepare the case of transfer of forestland to the CUHP and get it cleared from the ministry before December 27. The permanent campus of the CUHP has been hanging fire for the past eight years due to politics over the location of the campus. 

Political leaders of both Kangra and Hamirpur parliamentary constituencies have been trying to take the majority campus to their respective areas.

279 hectares forestland delays project

• The government had proposed 303 hectares for the Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) campus. While 24 hectares of non-forest land at Jadrangal in the Dharamsala Assembly constituency have been transferred in the name of the CUHP,  the remaining 279 hectares are forestland.
• The case for the transfer of forestland in the name of the CUHP has to be prepared by the state Forest Department and submitted to the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests.