Minister opposes use of Palampur varsity land for tourism village project

The tourism village project being proposed by the Tourism Department of the state on 112 hectares land of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University (CSKAU) at Palampur has been opposed by Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Chander Kumar. The minister has urged the state government not to use agriculture university land for bringing up the tourism village and look for some other land for the project.

Might be needed for research

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The university might need more land for its research projects in future. So, I am of the view that the land earmarked for agriculture research should not be used for bringing up the tourism village. — Chander Kumar, Minister of agriculture and animal husbandry

Chander Kumar, when asked, said he was not against the tourism village project. “However, I am of the view that it should not be brought up on the agriculture university land. I have met the Chief Minister and requested him to look for alternative land for bring up the tourism village. The Chief Minister has assured me that he would consider his suggestion,” he said.

Chander Kumar said that the CSKAU at Palampur was a historic institution. It initially came in Kangra as a regional centre of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, in 1950s when Kangra was part of the joint Punjab. After the hill areas of Punjab were merged with Himachal, the state government made it a fill-fledged university. The CSKAU at Palampur initially had about 400 hectares land. Over a period of time, 125 hectares land of the university was allotted to various government departments. Now if 112 hectares land of the university is used for tourism village project not much scope would be left for the expansion of the CSKAU, he argued.

Chander Kumar said that the field of agriculture was expanding and the university might need more land for its research projects in future. “So, I am of the view that the land earmarked for agriculture research should not be used for bringing up the tourism village,” he said.

The board of governors of the CSKAU at Palampur has already given its assent for transferring its 112 hectares land to the Tourism Department for bring up proposed tourism village. The employee organisation of the CSKAU and many other organisations of Palampur have been opposing the idea of setting up tourism village on the agriculture university land and are holding protest against it.

The government is proposing to set up a tourism village over the land taken from the agriculture university. The sources said that the tourism village was being proposed in view of the expansion of the Gaggal airport project.