JOIN USThe Kendra, certified as a biodiversity heritage, is set to lose 100 acres for ‘unfocused and unplanned’ projects. “What is the utility of infrastructure constructed at the cost of agriculture,” UAS former vice-chancellor Dwarakinath questioned at a press meet here on Monday.
He said the Judicial Layout Association has sought a one-km road inside the GKVK campus in the name of a cart road which existed previously.The demand, if met, would destroy the mango research plot. The UAS is not able to find an advocate to fight the case in the court against Judicial Layout, he said.
The half-done and hardly used road between Yelahanka and Yeshwantpur constructed by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike consumed 24 acres. Former BBMP Commissioner S Subrahmanya put pressure on the UAS Board to agree to allot the land. The work was proceeded with despite the pendency of a case in the High Court. The project to construct a road connecting the GKVK with Thindlu has vested interests, as a few private players are planning to create real estate establishments around the campus, he alleged.
Another former VC, Dr PG Chengappa, said the reckless acquisition would deprive practical class location for the students and affect the biodiversity also. Former additional chief secretary Chiranjeevi Singh said the government was according priority to infrastructure development projects at the expense of education. “The GKVK is the only large green patch in the City, which must be preserved and used only for study on agriculture,” he said.