Mangalore University will construct a building to house the Brahmasri Narayana Guru Study Chair on its premises at an estimated cost of ₹ 3.5 crore.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Vice-Chancellor P.S. Yadapadithaya said that the building will be constructed in phases.
To start with, the university will construct a part of the ground floor out of the ₹ 50 lakh given by B.K. Hariprasad from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme Funds. The remaining construction will be taken up with further grant of funds, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the ground floor will have the reformer’s statue which will be placed in such a way that sunlight will fall on his face.
The ground floor will have a courtyard, a meditation hall, two meeting rooms, library and administrative office. On the first floor, the university proposed four classrooms, a museum, a library and two rooms for lecturers.
This building will come up in the land that is close to the residence of the Vice-Chancellor. The university proposes to build offices of 19 other study chairs around this building if funds are made available. “We want to have all study chairs in this place,” he said.
The foundation stone for the work will be laid at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday. District in-charge Minister Kota Srinivasa Poojary and Mr. Hariprasad will be present. Mr. Poojary has promised additional funds for the building, Mr. Yadapadithaya said.
More funds
Each one of the study chairs, he said, requires a fixed grant of at least ₹ 2 crore for effective functioning. At present, grants vary and heads of the chairs are expressing difficulty in conducting programmes with the available funds. The university has asked State government for a grant of ₹ 2 crore in addition to the ₹ 1 crore that has been granted for the Yakshagana Study Chair, he said.
