The undue delay in the acquisition of land for resuming the construction works for the headquarters of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) at Pookode in Wayanad district casts a shadow over the future prospects of the varsity.
The construction works of seven blocks – academic block I and II, central training institute, hostels for girls and boys and associated structures – at the headquarters worth Rs.35 crore had come to a halt following a stop memo was issued by the southern regional office of the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment nearly a year ago.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, Chennai, also issued an interim order in December restraining all construction activities of the university following a green movement approached the NGT saying that the university was in possession of 100 acres of land which was deemed reserved forest and set apart for the Scheduled Tribe community.
The State government had earmarked Rs.4 crore in March this year to purchase five to 12 acres of land in Vythiri village in the district for taking up construction of the university buildings after the intervention of the people’s representatives.
“Even though the State Planning and Finance Department had approved the file well in advance, it is still pending with the Ministry of Agriculture for the past four months for want of administrative sanction,” P. Gagarin, president, Vythiri grama panchayat, said.
Though the university had identified and prioritised some of the land for purchase, delay in getting appropriate valuation from the revenue authorities further delayed the project. Fixing the land value by the revenue officials and getting administrative sanction from the government to release the fund were the need of the hour, Mr. Gagarin said.
Moreover, soil erosion from the construction site on a hillside on the university campus is also posing threat of landslide during the monsoon. The varsity had spent Rs.3 crore for the construction works. If the government failed to resume the construction works in a time-bound manner, the fund allocated by the Central government might lapse and hundreds of students would be denied opportunities for higher studies, he added.
