By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Kozhikode: The AMU Malappuram centre was established in 2010, but even after six years, it is no secret that the off-campus centre remains miles behind its dreams of being a full-fledged university. With elections less than a fortnight away in Kerala, the centre is turning out to be an important issue to corner the state’s Minority Welfare Minister Manjalamkuzhy Ali of IUML in the Perinthalmanna constituency of Malappuram.
The main opposition party CP I (M) has alleged criminal lapses on the part of the minister in ensuring steps to develop the centre in to a full-fledged university. Former MLA V Sasikumar, who is contesting against Ali, told Twocircles.net that the party would raise the issue in the campaigns against the minister.
According to him, dissent is mounting among the local IUML activists in five panchayats of the constituency against the minister. “No development has taken place in terms of increasing the number of students, setting up permanent building or appointing permanent staffs. With only three departments, 326 students and temporary buildings the centre has been pleading for development,” Sasikumar said.
Sasikumar went on to say that the minister did nothing for the development of the centre during the tenure of second UPA Government.
“Even though his party was an ally in UPA Government the minister initiated no steps to ensure adequate fund allocation and infrastructure and start more departments. IUML leadership is now putting blame on the BJP-led NDA Government for the retrogression of the centre,” Sasikumar said.
The CPI (M) candidate said that the party would go to all extents in exposing the laxity of IUML in this regard. “It was said that the centre would be a university within two years of its inception. IUML leadership has failed to do justice to the minorities in the state while it comes to the development of the centre,” he said.
Presently, the representation of Keralite students is poor. The demand to set up AMU schools with the centre is yet to be addressed. “The AMU Act is needed to be amended in order to set up the schools with the centre. The UPA Government could have taken action in a bid to amend the act. Now, the IUML along with the Congress, which stood idle, is putting blame on the NDA Government,” the former MLA alleged.
Meanwhile, the centre authorities are also fed up with the poor allocation. Though he didn’t blame anyone in particular, director Dr. H Abdul Azeez said that the government had allocated only Rs 140 crore out of the total amount of more than Rs 1,000 crore, announced in 2011. “The centre has received Rs 70 crore so far. With the Rs. 22.45 crore which was disbursed in January, we are carrying various development works, including the setting up of rain-harvesting system and temporary building and bounding walls,” he said.
Sources with the centre, on the condition of anonymity, told Twocircles.net that the lack of progress was surely an important factor during the campaigns. “There is a notion existing that Ali failed to meet public expectations in terms of developing the centre. CPI (M) has raised the issue,” the AMU source added.
Referring to the recent incident in which HRD Minister threatened AMU vice chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah and explicated that she wouldn’t allow more funds, Sasikumar said that his party, if comes to power in the state, would take up efforts to ensure that the centre is developed even at state government’s expense if needed.
Meanwhile, IUML district general secretary KNA Kader said that his party was not responsible for the plight of the centre. “It’s up to the centre to take action for the development of the centre. Being the minister concerned, Ali and the Minister for Education P K Abdur Rabb have done their best to develop the centre into a full-fledged centre,” he said.