SPECIAL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL PROJECT Punjabi University to reclaim land ownership if project is shelved

SPECIAL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL PROJECTPunjabi University to reclaim land ownership if project is shelved Gagan K Teja/TNS  THE PROJECT AND OPPOSITION The university is in talks with the state government for providing a 5.75-acre plot for setting up of a special residential model school for meritorious students from economically weaker sections of society Students and teachers opposed the move saying there was already a space crunch in the university and it was in a financial mess However, a few student organisations later gave their support on the condition that the university reclaims the ownership of the land Patiala, November 8 Punjabi University, which is all set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) pertaining to its land being given to the Punjab Government for setting up a special school, has decided to include a clause to reclaim land ownership of the land in case the project is shelved at any stage. The decision comes in the wake of resentment expressed by students and teachers, who said it was “unethical” on the part of the university to enter into such a land deal at a time when there was a severe space crunch in the university and it was in a “financial mess”. Under the project, the university is supposed to give a 5.75-acre land to the government for building a special residential model school for meritorious students from economically weaker sections of society. The state government is setting up six such schools in various districts of the state. For the school in Patiala, the Punjab government had approached Punjabi University to seek land, to which the university had agreed. However, the university authorities faced opposition from some sections of teachers and students. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, too, wrote to Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, who is also the Chancellor of the university, urging him to look into the matter, which was raised by the Democratic Teachers’ Front, Punjabi University. However, few student organisations later gave their support on the condition that the university reclaim the ownership of the land. University Registrar Dr AS Chawla said they were drafting an MoU, according to which in case the concept fails, the 5.75-acre land along with the development on it will be restored to the university. Saying that the ownership of the land would remain with the university at any cost, Chawla said the university had taken a similar decision in a project wherein the Central government had taken university land on lease for setting up the Northern Regional Language Centre. “They took a large area on lease from the university, including this 5.75-acre land, for setting up the Northern Regional Language Centre. They established the building on a part of this land. Also, they did not set up various things that they had promised and therefore, the university took away the remaining land last year. We are giving away this land for a purpose and if the government deviates, we can certainly reconsider our decision,” he said. Meanwhile, members of the Secular Youth Federation of India has asked the Vice-Chancellor to roll back the decision to give away the land or they would initiate a protest.