HP central varsity to have split campuses

The row over the location of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh is finally over with the Centre approving to split campuses....

The row over the location of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh is finally over with the Centre approving to split campuses one Dharamsala where the university will have its headquarters and a small eco-friendly campus,and the other,larger campus at Dehra,about 45 km away from Dharamsala.

The Union HRD Ministry conveyed to the state about the final notification having been issued about the university8217;s headquarters and the acceptance of the Site Selection Committee SSC report submitted last month. A committee,headed by Sunil Kumar,an Additional Secretary-rank IAS officer in the HRD Ministry,had visited both the locations in February 2010.

Deputy Commissioner,Kangra,R S Gupta,confirmed that he has been informed by Vice-Chancellor Prof Furqan Qamar about the Centres decision to set up the universitys small campus near Dharamsala and large faculties comprising an engineering college,a medical college and sciences blocks at Dehra.

Since there have been reports about the site at Dharamsala being seismically sensitive and unfit for large-scale construction activity,only faculties of Management and Humanities will be set up here.

Only low and eco-friendly earthquake-proof structures will do here at Dharamsala to suit the local environment and ecology, says the report.

While accepting the suggestion of the state government about Dehra,where a huge land has been made available for the university,the Centre has asked the state government to obtain environmental clearances for the identified land.

Dehra,a sub-divisional headquarters of Kangra,falls in the parliamentary constituency of Anurag Thakur,Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal8217;s son. It is the Assembly constituency of Viplove Thakur,a Rajya Sabha member and former PCC president.

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V-C Qamar said,I am happy that the Centre has accepted the recommendation of the SSC. This clears a big hurdle in the process of setting up the university.