Journalism of Courage
Owing to lack of space,many incubation companies set up by the Science and Technology Park (STP),University of Pune (UoP),are facing a shut down. While a request for about 5-acre land from the varsity has not been processed due to differences of opinion over administrative issues,STP is soon likely to lose another space in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area as its lease is over.
Rajendra Jagdale,director general and chief executive officer,STP,said,So far,the STP has 61 incubation companies in Pune,most of which operate from rented spaces. Some of them,which are rated the best in the country are facing shut down due to lack of space. Most of these are very small and don’t require a lot of space,but we’re unable to fulfill even such a basic requirement.
Our biggest problem is that our deadline for using Rs 5-crore fund will be over by the end of this month. The Department of Science and Technology (DST),Government of India,is our funding body and they gave us six months to use the amount. Due to lack of permanent space,we were not able to purchase equipment or set up laboratories, said Jagdale.
The PCMC had leased out a building to STP in Bhosari,near the Nasik highway,for five years . But now even that lease is over and PCMC officials have said the lease is not likely to be renewed as they need it for expansion,added Jagdale. When The Indian Express contacted senior officials from UoP about differences of opinion between the varsity and STP,some of them said UoP should be allowed to have a better representation in the STP governing body. But STP officials said most terms and conditions of UoP are not acceptable to them.
The UoP vice-chancellor is our chairman and we have some more members from UoP on our board. We cannot have more members from the varsity and reduce our own representation, said a senior STP faculty.
