By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
Kochi: The Kerala Government will hold a meeting on 14th July in connection with the setting up of the off-campus centre of the Aligarh Muslim University in Malappuram, said Revenue Minister KP Rajendran in the Assembly. A representative of the AMU too will be invited to the meeting.
The Minister informed that the government had taken measures for time-bound acquisition and transfer of the land for the campus. The survey procedures of the land have been completed. The Higher Education Council has allotted Rs 50 lakh for the survey procedures. The office of the Land Acquisition Unit, which deals with acquisition and survey procedures, has begun functioning at Perinthalmanna. Mr Rajendran also informed that 11 acres of land have been acquired in fast track.
He welcomed the allotment of Rs 25 crores for the AMU off-campus by the centre. The government wishes that Malappuram won’t lose the campus, he added.
Malappuram district in Kerala is one among the four centres that the AMU had selected to set up its regional centres. The state government had earlier planned to acquire 200 acres of land at Panakkad and written to the AMU about it. But later the government changed its plan stating that the Industries Department had already handed over that land to a public-private company. However, later it was known that the land had not yet been transferred to any agency, and that it was still under the state government.
In the meantime, the government decided to acquire 400 acres of land at Perinthalmanna for the purpose, but the land is in some legal disputes. Moreover, the land owners have approached the court against the acquisition.
Though it is clear that there are no problems with the land at Panakkad, the government wants to acquire the land at Perinthalmanna. It is feared that the campus may be lost for Kerala if the procedures are not completed soon.