The construction of the transit campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Palakkad, will begin at Kanjikode West in Pudussery grama panchayat by the end of February on 70.02 acres of land handed over by the State government.
IIT’s new director P.B. Sunil Kumar told The Hindu on Thursday that the work would be conducted in a time-bound manner and the transit campus, housing classrooms, laboratories, a library and hostels, would be fully functional by December end. The IIT is now functioning from a temporary campus set up at the Ahalya Group of Educational Institutions at Kozhippara near Walayar. Mr. Kumar was appointed as the first director of the Palakkkad IIT on Wednesday. Chennai IIT chairman Bhaskara Moorthy was holding additional charge of Palakkad till Wednesday. The elevation of Mr. Kumar was in recognition of his services in setting up the temporary campus and beginning the first two batches there.
He said the construction work of the permanent campus would begin once the State government completes the process of handing over the promised 504 acres of land at Kanjikode West. The Centre has already approved a master plan for ₹3,000 crore for the permanent campus. “Once the permanent campus is built, the transit campus will be converted into a convention centre and hostel complex. The Centre has already allotted ₹63 crore for constructing the transit campus,” he said.
The State government is yet to complete the acquisition of 50.10 acres of promised land. While some of the owners are refusing to hand over the land, others are citing legal and ownership issues. The State government is spending ₹160 crore on land acquisition. A sum of ₹19 crore will be spent on constructing the compound wall. The amount will be reimbursed by the IIT to the State government later.
The IIT is now consulting Central and State governments to fix a date in February third week for conducting the formal foundation stone laying function. Steps are also on to recruit sufficient teaching and non-teaching staff.
Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the Palakkad IIT on its temporary campus on August 3, 2015. It was then promised that the permanent campus would be set up at Pudussery within three years.
