JAMMU: More than five years after the University Grants Commission (UGC) released 50 per cent funds for the Jammu University campuses including Poonch campus, the construction is hanging in balance as the concerned agencies have failed to complete the work in stipulated time frame. Endless rounds of exchange of letters between Jammu University and UGC have so far failed to kick start the pending construction work on ground zero, further delaying the start of academic session in the new campus for the benefit of students hailing from remote areas.
According to official sources, “Poonch Campus of University of Jammu was approved by the University Council in 2008 and accordingly, 61 Kanals-7 Marlas of land situated at Dingla Poonch was acquired for establishment of the campus”.
After starting the construction work of Academic-cum-Administrative Block and Boys and Girls hostels the campus is awaiting completion due to paucity of funds.
Interestingly, the sanction for release of funds for all the campuses including Poonch Campus was received by the University of Jammu in November, 2011.
“50 per cent of the funds were released by University Grants Commission (UGC) in January, 2012 and accordingly these were transferred to the campus for utilisation”.
An amount of Rs 73.54 crore (50 percent of the total allocation) was released for establishment of the Poonch Campus.
These funds were to be utilised during the 11th Five Year Plan Period (2007-2012).
Later an extension was granted by the UGC upto 31st March, 2014 on 30th March, 2012 for completion of construction activities in various campuses.
One complete year was wasted before the construction was assigned to the executing agency. The work was allotted in April-May, 2013.
The University, instead of specifying the reasons for delay in taking up the construction work, shifted the blame on various unavoidable reasons and limited working season.
When the issue was further taken up regarding extension of time period for completion of project with the UGC, they informed that it will not extend Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Project (PMRP) project beyond 31st March, 2014. To play safe, the University maintained that it repeatedly approached the UGC seeking extension for completion of all the projects vide letters dated: 28th March 2014 and 26th May 2014. Heeding to repeated pleas of the University,UGC extended the period of completion upto March, 2015 vide letter No. F.26-1/2007 (SU-2), dated: 22nd August 2014. The university goes on to claim that the delay in conveying the sanction for extension of the time period caused the university to lose six months of working, thus putting the campuses activity in a state of complete uncertainty. Even the extension had been granted in August, the university had seven months to complete the unfinished the work but the same was not completed.
According to official sources, “the construction work in all the campuses has been stalled till further extension is granted by the UGC”.
Jammu University authorities claimed it is rigorously pursuing the case regarding extension of the time period for completion of the project together with the release of balance 50 percent of funds and as soon as the UGC releases the 2nd instalment, the same shall be utilised for the completion of construction activities in all the three buildings at Poonch Campus.