BU, BCU clash over vacating Central College campus

The ongoing turf war between Bangalore University (BU) and Bangalore Central University (BCU) has intensified with the physics block emerging as the latest flashpoint.

BU should have vacated the block by June but has refused to vacate the block located at the BCU property.

BCU officials renovating the physics block on Wednesday broke the lock of an abandoned room, only to discover that it was a cold storage where 20-25-year-old triplicate answer sheets were stored. “We wanted to build a ladies toilet and thought the abandoned room was an old ladies toilet,” BCU Registrar M Ramachandra Gowda told DH. “We’ve made sure that the answer sheets were not damaged.”

He was angered over the delays by BU to vacate the campus at the stipulated time. Gowda noted that the storeroom is in a bad condition and answer sheets stored there had become wet due to leakage of rainwater.

“According to the document, BU should’ve vacated this campus by June 18, but they’re still holding revaluation at this block and have acquired five classrooms.
We will start our classes on August 16,” Gowda said.

BCU decided to renovate it before the classes, but the storeroom is hindering their work. “This (the inadvertent break-in) wouldn’t have happened had the officials vacated the campus in time,” he said.

The BU, on the other hand, accused the BCU of causing a major security breach by breaking the storeroom’s lock. “We’ve stored nearly six lakh answer sheets. There should be coordination (between the varsities) in times like this,” said a senior BU official. “When it’s clearly intimated that we need to share the campus until we establish our own at Jnanabharathi campus, BCU officials should show some patience and oblige us,” the official added.

BU Vice-Chancellor Venugopal K R said the varsity has occupied just one room. “The room has old answer sheets which we’ve to transfer with care and find a safer alternative place,” he said