RGUHS syndicate, senate members oppose govt 'meddling' in campus project

Several syndicate and senate members of the Rajiv Gandhi University Health Sciences (RGUHS) have come out openly against the government’s interference in the plan to construct a new campus at Ramanagaram.

At a press conference here on Thursday, Dr B R Ramkrishna, a senate member, said: “Even without the plan for the new campus being properly approved or a global tender being called, the government straightaway gave the tender to one Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd and even made an initial allocation of Rs 33 crore to them. Why was this done in such a hurry?”

The members further highlighted that while they fully supported the plan for a new campus, this had to be done “scientifically and transparently”.

”The plan for the new RGUHS campus was approved in 2007 and the construction was planned on 200 acres of land in Archakarahalli, Ramanagaram. However, 77 acres of the 200 acres of land, where the new campus is to be constructed, is still under litigation, said Dr Chandana Shekhar, another senate and syndicate member.

Another concern highlighted was the fact that construction of the new campus had to be according to the latest requirements and technologies. This was however not possible with a plan that was approved in 2007.

Shekhar, said: “We have not got litigation-free land. There are still several cases in the High Court regarding the issue. Also, the world has progressed manifold since 2007 and there are modern technologies and requirements that need to be looked at. The government, however, wants to go the old way.” He also said that they would not like an RGUHS campus that was on the lines of a Vikasa Soudha or a Suvarna Soudha.

In 2007, a total estimate of Rs 310 was made for the entire construction. This cost has however risen to Rs 580 crore, said Shekhar. Although the senate and syndicate members have met several government officials and even the Governor on the issue, nothing has come of these meetings.

Shekhar further said that the university has been “pushed to the wall”, especially after the government decided that university funds would be used for the construction in May this year. “The university has been asked to release the funds in a phased manner. This has been vehemently opposed in the senate and the syndicate,” he said.