By Mohammad Mudassir Alam,
The Government of Bihar led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar got the proposal for establishing a Special Centre of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in the year 2008. The Bihar government offered 243 acres of land in Kishanganj district in 2010, but the land was full of controversies and so AMU Vice Chancellor Prof P.K. Abdul Azis rejected to accept it after his visit on May 22, 2010.
The VC explained his constraints in a letter written to Bihar Government just after his visit. The land offered to AMU was in three separate pieces with population in between and even some portion was illegally encroached by tribals, in addition to the land not meeting the criteria fixed by the university administration.
Since then, the matter of land transfer to AMU administration for the establishment of a massive study campus offering school to post graduate level education including professional courses is hanging in the balance.
The Bihar Government remained rigid on its initial and only offer of the land and later started releasing statements against AMU VC questioning his intention time to time just to turn the attention of common people from real issue to other direction.
Being a journalist, an old boy of AMU and a native of Kishanganj, Bihar, I have keenly followed the matter for past two years. Below I am sharing the questions (allegations) made by Bihar Government, the concerns of AMU VC as per the proposal drafted by the Executive Council of the University and approved by Ministry of HRD.
Allegations of Bihar Government
1. The 243 acres land (in three pieces) offered at Chakla village near Kishanganj district headquarters is ideal and AMU VC should accept the land without any delay. The Bihar Government is sighting the example of Murshidabad, where the AMU has accepted the land in two pieces.
2. The AMU VC has not taken the approval from AMU Visitor (President of India) for setting up a special centre in Kishanganj.
Concerns of AMU VC
1. The Bihar Government had never given any prompt reply to any letter sent by the university regarding AMU Centre in Kishanganj. In fact, some of the letters have never been replied.
2. Bihar Government has taken more than seven months to reply a letter.
3. The Bihar Government offered the land in 3 parts, It should be a contiguous piece of land as per norms.
4. The land should have direct connectivity with the state highway or national highway through a 30 metre wide road.
5. The land should be officially transferred to AMU without any type of lease term. The Bihar Government is ready to give the land in 30 years lease without official transfer to AMU.
6. The land offered to AMU is encroached upon by tribals, and there is population between three parts of land that might be a problem in coming days for the students and staff.
Facts about AMU Special Centres
August 28, 2006: The Ministry of HRD drew the attention of AMU to a resolution passed y the ‘National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education’ held on 11 & 12 July 2006, indicating that AMU may be permitted to open another campus examined under Section 12 (2) of the AMU Act. MHRD desired the view of the University on the matter.
December 2, 2007: With permission of the Visitor (President of India), the University Court resolved to establish Four Special Centers one each in North, South, East and West covering different regions of the country under Section 12 (2) of AMU Act.
July 10, 2008: The University got a letter from MHRD Reference letter No: F.3-9/2008 – Desk (U) dated 10.7.2008 asking to get the required land free of cost from State Governments.
November 25, 2008: The VC of AMU wrote to the Chief Ministers / Education Ministers of the five states requesting 250-acres of encumbrance free, contiguous land, free of the cost, in the districts identified for establishing Centres. Supports requested from State governments mentioned in the letter were: (i) Contiguous piece of 250-300 acres of land free from all encumbrances to be transferred in the name of AMU. (ii) 30 metre wide road to the campus, (iii) Uninterrupted electricity supply through a sub-station (iv) Laying of inside road (v) Uninterrupted drinking water supply to the campus (vi) Sewage Treatment Plant (vii) Statistics of the proposed land
January 5, 2009: The Academic Council of the AMU endorsed the above resolution to establish the Centres under Section 12 (2) of the AMU Act, with the permission of the Visitor. The VC was authorized to take necessary follow-up actions.
Facts about AMU Kishanganj Centre
November 26, 2008: The University wrote to Chief Minister of Bihar to identify a minimum of 250-300 acres of land free of cost in Bihar (Ref Letter No. 1236/VC/Sectt. Date 26.11.2008).
(Note: The University didn’t get any reply from Bihar Govt.)
September 2, 2009: The University again requested the Chief Minister to expedite the matter of allocating 250-300 acres of land, free of cost to AMU (Ref Letter No. D- 1249/VC/Sectt. Dated 02.09.2009)
September 20, 2009: The University requested the Chief Minister of Bihar to allocate an additional 150-acres of contiguous land (Ref. vide letter No. 28/VC/Sectt/Lodge date 20.09.2009)
October 29, 2009: The Principal Secretary, Govt. of Bihar (Dept of Human Resource Development) informed that Bihar govt is ready to give 250 acres land free of cost to AMU in Kishanganj (Ref. vide letter No 14 M 7-01/09 – 2149 dated 29.10.2009)
February 4, 2010: VC along with a team met with CM of Bihar Nitish Kumar on February 4, 2010 and made a detailed presentation of AMU’s plan for centre in Kishanganj.
March 27, 2010: The Secretary, Govt of Bihar HRD Department informed that the Govt of Revenue and Land Reform has allocated 243.76 acres of land on payment of @Rs 10/- as token Salami and Rs 1/ as annual rent for 30 years lease on the basis of Renewal option (Ref vide letter No. 14/ M 7-01/09 – 1134 dated 27.3.2010)
(Note: The letter did not indicate that the land offered was in three pieces)
May 22 & 23, 2010: The VC and his team visited Kishanganj to assess the suitability of the land before taking possession of the same.
May 25, 2010: The University expressed its willingness to take over the land if an area of 250-300 acres of land contiguous to plot No. 1 and inclusive of it, and together with direct access to the State Highway is allocated. (Ref. letter No.D-214/VC/Sectt. dated 25.05.2010).
(Note: The University has not received a reply to this communication).
Bihar went into election soon thereafter.
December 8, 2010: The Vice-Chancellor congratulated Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar by writing a letter on his election victory and solicited support to start the AMU Centre at Kishanganj during academic year 2011-12. The Vice-Chancellor requested the Chief Minister to consider the matte on top priority. The Vice-Chancellor also sought an appointment to prepare a time line to realize the project.
(Note: The appointment did not materialize).
February 24, 2011: The Chief Secretary, Bihar Govt. wrote to D.M., Kishanganj to identify 250 acres of contiguous land for establishment of AMU Centre at Kishanganj and directed the D.M. to use the land already identified in three parts in Kishanganj for some other purpose.
The D.M. Kishanganj replied to the Principal Secretary, MHRD Bihar Govt. that required 250 acres of contiguous land has been identified in the villages Petbhary, Mohmari, Dhanpura Deramari and Kumhia in the Thakurganj, Kochhadhaman and Dinghalbank Sub Division of District respectively and any one of which may be selected for the above purpose.
May 16, 2011: The Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India informed AMU the following:
i) The land at Kishanganj for AMU Centre may be firmed up with the Govt. of Bihar.
ii) Once the land is identified, the University may prepare DPR accompanied by a DFR providing all the details of the Kishanganj Centre.
July 10-12, 2011: The Vice-Chancellor and his team again visited Kishanganj for inspection of sites, identified by the Govt. of Bihar and thereafter informed the DM of Kishanganj the following indicating AMU’s decision:
i) The land offered by Shri Afzal Husain, Islampur, Tea Plantation extending to 250-300 acres is the best site suited for establishing the AMU Centre in Kishanganj because of its proximity to expressway, Bagdora Airport, the Islampur Railway Station and the Bus Terminal at Islampur and requested the District Magistrate (Kishanganj) to deploy a Special Task Force to survey the land to complete the process of acquisition on a fast track basis.
ii) The following two sites were also proposed in order of following preferences:
(a) Government land seen during the visit on 22/23 May, 2010 near the Mahananda River, close to the state high way on condition that the plot should be 250-300 acres of contiguous land, inclusive of Plot No.1; and
(b) Dhanpura (Kochadhman Anjal) – Plot No.1 inspected on 11.7.2011
(Ref. vide letter No.D-112/VC/Sectt. dated 13.7.2011)
(Note: Further communication from the District Magistrate (Kishanganj) is awaited).
The above chronology clearly describes the intention of AMU VC about the proposed centre in Kishanganj Bihar. Bihar government has always shown lucre response to the proposal of AMU VC Prof. Abdul Azis and posed false allegations. The VC of AMU has taken all the actions based on the approval from Visitor (President of India), Union Ministry of HRD, and the Executive Council (the internal body of AMU that votes for any type of proposal) and followed the 12 (2) of AMU Act. Everything is clear before all and there is no benefit of playing blame-game. It is responsibility of Bihar Government to show sincerity to materialize the proposal in the interest of Bihar and its people.
(The writer is a Delhi based Freelance Journalist hailing from Kishanganj, Bihar)