The woes of the Tumkur University doesn’t seem to stop. The dream of the common people of Tumkur as well as the elite and erudite personalities of region to establish good University seems to be a dream.

Though Tumkur University started functioning three years (2004) back owing to the pressure from the educationists, social workers and politicians of the region it doesn’t have its own campus unlike Bangalore or Mysore or Mangalore Universities. To the contrary various departments of the University including administrative office are scattered all over the Tumkur city.

The government at one stage though contemplating gave 300 acres land of near Devarayanadurga for setting up of the University infrastructure, Forest department raised objections to the setting up of the University in the region citing loss of environment and thus the land sanctioned was taken back.

Later, in meeting chaired by the former minister C Chennigappa and attended by Deputy Commissioner, Revenue department officials and vice Chancellor of the university the land near Bidarakatte was identified as the ideal place and was allotted to the University. 

Accordingly District administration had also handed over the possession of land which is 280 acres and 25 guntas in area to the Tumkur University.

Hope rekindle

As the hopes of the University rekindled and it planned to carry out the further works, just in time district forest officer and Secretary of the State Department of Environment raised objections, once again smashing the hopes of the University and people.

No notification

The land was earlier given to Social Forest Department which had grown eucalyptus tree and were later cleared.

All though the land was not land declared reserved or notified under 4 (1) the objections are still  being raised.

The notice issued by the Department of Environment had sought prior permission from the Central Environment Department and was received by the Vice-Chancellor Anantaramaiah a month ago.

Currently there are more than 1000 students studying in the University and numbers are expected go beyond 2000 in the following academic year.

13 Post Graduation courses are already functioning in the University and it is said that VC Anantaramaiah has submit a proposal to the government seeking permission to start 14 new PG courses all which are expected to get permission this year.

As  a result of the objection raised by the forest and environment departments the fate of the students and the university is now in doldrums. VC regretted that if the same situation continued it would be difficult to give quality
education.

Universities don’t spoil the environment rather they help in their conservation, opined Anantaramaiah who said that JNU, Bangalore, Hampi and Kuvempu universities have been set at a nature spot.