Foundation Stone Of Central University To Be Laid Before Dec, 2016 At Jadrangal: Sudhir Sharma

Dharamshala, July 16, 2016: The Urban Development Minister Himachal Sudhir Sharma, who is also the MLA of Dharamshala has said that the Government of Himachal in writing in detail, about the site for setting up the Central University in Dhararamshala to the newly appointed HRD Minster Sh.Prakash Javadekar . The site selected was at Jadrangal adjoining Dharamshala has already been detailed to the former HRD Minister Ms Smriti Irani.
The minister said that that one under secretary of HRD ministry has already visited the site and a committee is now awaited to visit the proposed site for setting up the Central University in Jadrangal, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
Sudhir Sharma said, “The state govern have already cleared the Jadrangal site for CU in its Cabinet, and we shall get a foundation stone laid during current calendar year. Once the site is okayed, we shall start the construction work immediately.”
The minister said that viewing in the next years assembly elections in the state ,some political leaders are making CU as their election agenda, were as they should think for its early setting up, as the issue is being lingered on for almost eight years now.
The Central University of Himachal Pradesh is a university operating from temporary academic block which is established at Shahpur, near Dharamshala Himachal Pradesh. This university had been allotted to Dharamshala and at preset working in Shahpur for temporary classes. The university was founded in 2009 as a result of the government's policy to establish Central Universities in each of the states that do not already have a central university. BJP wants to set up in Dehra Sub Division of Kangra district, the Parliamentary area of Anurag Thakur, who is son of ex HP CM PK Dhumal. And Congress alleging that BJP taking political mileage out of the project wishes to establish it in Dharamshala, for which it was originally allotted for.
Then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in his address to the nation on 15 August 2007, announced the establishment of a Central University in each of the states that did not already have a central university. Subsequently, the Planning Commission provided for the establishment of 16 new Central Universities according to the Central Universities Act 2009 (No. 25 of 2009) of the Indian Parliament. The act received presidential assent on 20 March 2009 and provided for the establishment of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, amongst others.
The Member of Parliament from Hamirpur, Mr. Anurag Thakur who is also BJYM President raised the issue of Himachal Central University campus in the zero hour at Lok Sabha in May this year. Speaking in the house, Mr. Thakur said, “Madam Speaker, the headquarters of Himachal Central University had been fixed at Dehra since 2010. However, the State Government has been desperately trying to play politics and delay the process. The students of the campus are still living in the temporary location and facing many difficulties.” He said that( during BJP rule Under P K Dhumal in HP),the Himachal Central University was notified to have 70 percent campus and headquarters in Dehra and 30% in Dharamshala as on April 2010. The land clearance was pending at the central ministry of forests, however, when the Government changed in December 2012, the Virbhadra Government tried to reverse the share of allocation of lands for political reasons.
On this issue Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have cleared it earlier that the consolidated campus of the central university would be set up at Jadrangal near Chamunda temple as the land had been selected and approved by Human Resource Ministry. He said though the faculties of the University could be opened at some other place in Kangra district.
Vir Bhadra said that Hamirpur MP of BJP, Anurag Thakur and others in BJP were involved in cheap politics over opening of Central University at a particular place. He said that main campus of the proposed University would be set up in Dharamshala though there was no restriction of opening institutes at other places or affiliated colleges of the University at Dehra.
Virbhadra Singh said that Dharamshala is the headquarter of Kangra district and doing area specific politics was not an ideology of Congress. He said that sufficient land has been identified near Dharamsala, at Jadrangal and government was serious to set up Central University there. "BJP was unnecessary raking up the issue of opening the Central University at Dehra for the very reason, that Dehra was in the Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency and is represented by Anurag Thakur."
"Dehra or Dharamsala, does not make a difference for Congress as state government wants development of all areas in the same manner but it was Anurag Thakur who had made it an issue and because of this, the project had been in limbo for quite some time."