By IANS
Patna : Hundreds of angry farmers in Bihar’s Nalanda district Friday demanded more compensation for their lands acquired to set up the Nalanda International University, and pelted stones at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar when he tried to pacify them.
The farmers gave vent to their demand and anger at what they consider low compensation for their lands during former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s visit to the site at Rajgir near Nalanda, about 100 km from here.
“Protesting farmers shouted slogans against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and District Magistrate Anand Kishore for not giving them adequate compensation for farmlands acquired for the project,” a police official said.
Upset over the incident, Nitish Kumar said it was engineered by vested interests and hinted he would order an inquiry into it to expose the people behind it. “I was shocked and surprised when some people suddenly pelted stones. The incident was engineered,” he said.
Nitish Kumar told newspersons after his return from the site here that though security officials immediately threw a cordon around him, he was hit by at least four-five stones.
However, Nitish Kumar said the proposed university was his dream project and he would not climb down on it. “The work for development of the site will start soon,” the chief minister said.
The Bihar government has acquired 446 acres of land at Rajgir near Nalanda to set up the university. Government officials claimed that the farmers had been paid compensation, but were demanding more money.
Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was appointed the first Visitor of the proposed university last year under the University of Nalanda Act, 2007.
Principal Secretary of Human Resource Development Department Anjani Kumar Singh said Kalam also attended first board meeting at 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of the chief minister in the high security zone here.
Two presentations were made during the meeting – one by architects and the other by Singh on the objectives and the plan of action.
“During the meeting, Kalam was informed about the progress made till date for setting up the university and the response of the supporting countries,” Singh said. The chairman of the nine-member board, Y.S. Rajan, former advisor to the president of India, also attended the first meeting.
The board was set up by the state government with an approved budget of Rs.10 million to prepare a roadmap for the university. The board will function till the university is set up formally.
Rajan played a major role in preparing the draft of the University of Nalanda Act, 2007 that was passed by the state legislative assembly last year, the official said.
The idea for the university was first mooted in the late 1990s, but it was Kalam’s initiative in 2006 that gave shape to the project at the ancient seat of Buddhist learning.
The university will initially have 46 faculty members hired from abroad and their number will be raised to 582 by the end of the 10-year project.
The Bihar government has set up an office in New Delhi to carry out liaison work of the proposed university, which will be built at a cost of Rs.6.3 billion over a 448-acre campus.
Students and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey, besides India, attended the original Nalanda University, which existed until 1197 AD.