Infra bottleneck: Lockdown, delay in funds hinder construction of govt college

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 31

It was after 27 years that the demand to construct a government college at Boota Mandi in the city was finally listened when CM Capt Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone of the college last year.

The announcement was made in 1992 for the first time, afterwards same was repeated by former CM Parkash Singh Badal, who promised to get it done in 1999. It doesn’t stop here. Thereafter, Sukhbir Singh Badal’s stance was no different in 2008. The CM while laying the foundation stone had said that the college would be completed in one and a half years at a cost of Rs 13 crore.

Astonishingly, the construction of Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar Govt College (Girls) at Boota Mandi, started in October last year with an aim to complete the project till September 2020. But the work has got delayed, yet again, due to delay in release of funds initially and then came the Covid spread accompanied by the ensuing lockdown to add to bureaucratic delays. It seems like a never-ending wait. As per information, at present, the foundation work of the college ie 25 per cent is completed. Also, a week ago, budget amounting to Rs 175 lakh was allocated by Secretary Higher Education, Punjab, to rev up the works.

Backtracking to 2017, in months of June, July and August the girls of Buta Mandi, Khurla Kingra and adjoining areas had got together and demanded the opening of a degree college in the Boota Mandi area — initially promised in 1992 by then CM Beant Singh. Such was the protest that it continued for a total of 107 days and also the girls went on a hunger strike.

Recently, Sushil Rinku, MLA Jalandhar West Constituency, also visited the site and asked the PWD officials and the contractor to accentuate the work so that classes for next session could be started. He also informed that as decided earlier, the college will not only be for girls, but instead would be a Co-ed one.

Meanwhile, the students will have to scoop out more patience from inside before they step into the college. “Until the time the construction gets completed, the classes will be held in Sports College. But from next session, the classes will positively be held in the college itself, the MLA said.

The college will offer BA, B.Com, BBA, and BCA courses.