In the last Budget, the State government promised to set up a government engineering college, and the Mahamud Gawan research centre here to commemorate the contribution of the medieval intellectual on public administration and education. One year later, however, these projects are yet to take off.
The college was supposed to help students from the Hyderabad Karnataka region get easy access to technical education. The public investment in building the college was expected to improve the economy of the backward district. There are no government colleges in the Hyderabad Karnataka region, though there is one aided college in Kalaburagi. A public college in Bidar would also help absorb 75 per cent of local students, as per the regional reservation provided under Article 371-J of the Constitution.
While the State government has appointed a special officer to scout for land and other infrastructure facilities, there has been no other significant development.
“The Deputy Commissioner’s office asked us to identify lands that we found suitable for the college. We sent them a short list but we are yet to receive a letter sanctioning us 25 acres of land, as per AICTE guidelines,” an officer of the Technical Education department said.
The Gawan centre is an ambitious project that aims to translate works of Khaja Imaduddin Gilani, who was known as Mahamud Gawan, in poetics, astronomy and mathematics and his letters to world leaders of the medieval times. The administrative reforms introduced by him will be studied in detail.
One year ago, the district administration came up with plans of converging funds meant for the centre, with the hi-tech library sanctioned to the State, and the project to repair Mahamud Gawan’s tomb, that is a heritage structure on Hyderabad road. The project would thus be increased to Rs. 25 crore. Land was identified near the district science centre and initial drawings were sent to the Department of Libraries one year ago. But nothing happened, said an officer in the district administration.
Eshwar Khandre, district in-charge Minister, said the government was committed to setting up the two institutions. “We will start work on them in the next few weeks,” he said.
