Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University staff protest transfer of land for tourist village

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Palampur, July 30

The state government’s decision to transfer 112 acres of the land of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University for the setting up of a tourism village on the university’s campus has attracted widespread criticism in Kangra district. The university’s non-teaching staff members today staged a protest against the government outside the office of Vice-Chancellor Dr DK Vatsa.

VC Vatsa had recently given a no objection certificate (NOC) to the state government regarding the transfer of the university land for the setting up of the tourism village.

Members of various bodies of the teaching and non-teaching staff as well as students have sought the withdrawal of the NOC, stating that VC Vatsa was retiring on July 31. They say that the university land should not go in the hands of big corporations, which were hand in glove with the state authorities.

Over 1,000 non-teaching staff members of the HP Agriculture University today came out to protest against the state government, demanding the immediate scrapping of the decision.

They also submitted a memorandum to the VC.

Rajiv Sharma, president of the university’s Non-Teaching Employees’ Association, said the employees would fight till their demands were met. He said the university land was only meant for educational purposes. Highlighting the “high-handedness” of the state government to acquire the land, he said they would ensure that the state government withdrew the decision. He said the university was left with limited land, therefore Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu should review the decision and give the land back to the university. He said all associations would also move the court against the government’s decision.

“Besides setting up a tourism village in the university, it will affect the academic atmosphere of the institution. Our associations have already requested the university’s Chancellor, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, not to allow the setting up of the tourism village on the university’s land,” he added.