RTI activist asks CM to take up issue with Union govt
SHILLONG: In an irony of sorts, despite getting parliamentary assurance to set up a Central Agriculture University in Meghalaya, what the government got is only a college.
This was revealed in a reply to an RTI query by Arju Dkhar, who also wrote to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday for necessary action.
In 2010, the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) of the Ministry of Agriculture had selected 200 acres of land at Kyrdemkulai in Ri Bhoi for the purpose besides another 40 acres for a post graduate college near ICAR complex in Umiam.
The documents obtained by Dkhar reveal that the Centre had approved setting up of a Central Agriculture University in the state and land was also allotted as per the requirement.
“But what surprises the citizens of the state is that a central agriculture college came up instead of Central Agriculture University for which land was allotted”, Dkhar said in the letter to the chief minister.
The Chairman, Department of Agriculture Research Education in the minutes of the meeting held on October 28, 2015, had clearly mentioned that establishment of the Central Agriculture University in Meghalaya is a Parliamentary assurance.
Dkhar urged the chief minister to take up the matter with the Centre so that the University will be established at the earliest for the interest of the students.
Earlier, the Centre had released Rs 30 crore for the establishment of Central Agriculture University.
Once established, the University’s jurisdiction will be over Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim after bifurcating the existing Central Agriculture University in Imphal.