Death knell for Veterinary College

Once the College is forced to part with the required 21 acres six guntas for the Judges quarters, its campus would be reduced to a mere 99 acres. Unless the State Government ensures that the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) transfers 60 acres to the Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Science University (KVAFSU) (the Veterinary College is part of this University), the College could lose its recognition as per the guidelines of Veterinary Council of India. 

UAS was to hand over the 60 acres to KVAFSU after the establishment of the veterinary varsity in 2005. Following the Supreme Court directions and the High Court’s harsh criticism of the Government’s inability to provide quarters to the Judges of the High Court, the Government seems to have got over cautious. In the process, it has apparently gone to the extent of sacrificing the interest of veterinary science and the students.

The State has already directed the Vice Chancellor, KVAFSU  to spare a patch of land for the judges quarters in the campus.

Sources in the varsity blamed UAS officials and the Principal Secretary Agriculture for the mess. “Initially, the Principal Secretary, Agriculture had directed the UAS estate officer to identify land for judges in UAS. But without our knowledge and consent, he showed two plots in our campus,” said a source in KVAFSU.

Accordingly, a team of judges, who visited the Veterinary College on November 23, 2010  approved both the plots which they visited, one adjoining the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAHVB) and another behind the Dairy unit in the campus.

At a meeting with the Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, and Principal Secretary, Agriculture, on 27 November, 2010, the IAHVB Director Renuka Prasad, the Veterinary College Dean, Dr Vasanth Shetty, and Dr Yathiraj, Director Research, IAHVB said UAS was yet to hand over the required land to KVAFSU.
   
Instead of the 60 acres, which the Government says the UAS is to hand over to the veterinary varsity, the three professors pointed out that there are actually 77 acres. But the UAS continued with its main research station in 57 acres, while the 20 acres had a host of UAS structures including a farmers training hostel, a bakery unit, the transport section, the Directorate of Extension building, Mangala Raitha Bhavan, Agricultural Technology Information Centre, Farmers Training Institute, UAS Alumni Association, Rajgopal Bhavan, UAS Cooperative Society, Netravathi Guest House, and a Campus School. 

The professors had made it clear that the College cannot spare land for the Judges Quarters. The norms of the Veterinary Council of India mandate that the college should have at least 150 acres of land in its possession and has specified extent of land required for each facility. The College also has plans to set up various infrastructure for research and general public utility. This would require about 50 acres. Ten acres will have to be set aside for a Remount Veterinary Corps - a unit for equestrian training, and another 10 acres for a super-speciality hospital to be established by the Tata Foundation in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, United States. An additional five acres will be required for a Biomedical Waste Management System.

With all these requirements, the Veterinary College is clear that it can’t afford to lose more land. For the record, it has already lost land to the Dairy Science College, IAHVB, Department of Animal Health and Veterinary Science, Karnataka Veterinary Council, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, a KEB sub station and other institutes, covering about 93 acres.