Shortage of funds has been proving a deterrent in shifting the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University (PSTU) from its present campus at Nampally to Bachupalli, apart from the legal issues that it faces through the contractor hired for construction at Gachibowli campus.
It has been over 12 years since the construction began at the Bachupalli site and two buildings planned with an estimation of ₹3 crore (fine arts) and ₹4.5 crore (administrative building).
The work on fine arts building was almost complete when the contractor moved the court seeking release of funds, as well as additional ₹60 lakh citing escalation of costs, an official said. As the legal battle continued for some years, the administration, with much difficulty, cleared the pending bills of the contractor. “We are now in search of a new contractor to finish the remaining work, and we have approached the Telangana State Education Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation for the purpose. The estimates are being done as of now,” the official said seeking anonymity.
But the biggest problem that the university now faces is shortage of funds. The officials said they need another ₹10 crore for finishing the incomplete buildings and to create the required infrastructure. “We can move into the new campus with that money, but where will it come from?” asked the official. The grants that the university gets from the government are sufficient for salary and maintenance, but nothing would be left to be spent on development. In fact, the Telangana government sanctioned ₹20 crore in 2018-19 financial year under the development fund to the university, but not more than ₹5 crore has been released so far. The authorities who have to take up the issue with the government have also remained silent, alleges a senior faculty member.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also stopped its funds for various reasons, while the cancellation of its distance courses by the Distance Education Council (DEC) has also led to drying up of its coffers. Another senior member of the faculty revealed that certificate and diploma programmes like Jyothishyam and dance used to be popular among students, but the DEC cancelled them owing to shortage of staff. “We lost ₹7 crore every year due to cancellation of distance courses,” he added.
