College suffers as MLAs cross swords

Students and staff of three-year-old Govt college in Rajajinagar are forced to use a public toilet

Thanks to the conflict of egos of two MLAs, who represent neighbouring constituencies, the college built three years ago has no basic facilities like toilets, forcing students and lecturers, regardless of gender to use public toilets.

Worse, instead of addressing the issue, plans are afoot to shift the college itself. The Government First Grade College in Rajajinagar was commissioned three years ago. Then Rajajinagar MLA N L Narendra Babu who got it sanctioned, had it located at the Government High School campus on Post and Telegraph Road (PTR), Rajajinagar II block.

However, 33,000 sq ft land was identified near GD Naidu Hall on West of Chord Road, for an independent building for the college. But the problems began after the delimitation process.

Delimitation process

The Mahalakshmi Layout Assembly constituency was created out of Rajajinagar and Malleswaram constituencies after delimitation process. Babu won from Mahalakshmi Layout, while S Suresh Kumar (Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs) from Rajajinagar.

Interestingly, Naidu Hall comes under Mahalakshmi Layout Assembly Constituency and if the college is shifted near the Hall, Rajajinagar will lose the college. The jurisdictional conflict with MLA Babu attempting to get the college shifted and Suresh Kumar trying to retain it, has stunted the growth of the college.

Suresh Kumar even proposed to merge PTR High School with another school at Juganahalli in order to allow the college have the present building permanently. But he dropped the idea as the school staff opposed the merger proposal.

Instead, he proposed to shift the PTR school to Kurubarahalli. Efforts are still on to woo the school staff to move, said sources.

Pathetic condition

Presently, the college is housed at the PTR school building. More courses have been introduced and the college authorities have decided to use the classrooms of another Government Primary School near the Old Police Station (OPS), Rajajinagar II block as it does not have sufficient space. So much so, the college principal’s chamber is housed at PTR building. The distance between the two schools is nearly a kilometre.

While BCom classes are conducted at PTR building from 7 am to 11 am, BA and BBM classes are conducted at the school near OPS between 8 am and 2 pm. For official and administrative purposes, the students have to shuttle between the two locations.
Deprived of basic facility like toilets, the college staff and students are forced to use a public toilet near the Anjaneya temple.

The classrooms are so cramped that students here listen to lectures standing. At least 80 students are dumped in a room when only 40 students can be accommodated. The government has sanctioned BSc course to the college, but lack of infrastructure has restricted the authorities from going ahead.

Minister Suresh Kumar told Deccan Herald: “We will retain the College at Rajajinagar. I don’t oppose if it needs to be shifted, but I will seek another government college,” he added, indicating Rajajinagar will have a government college.

Charges refuted

He denied differences with legislator Babu over retaining the college, refuting charges that the development of the college was neglected.  “We are friends. He got the college sanctioned and developed it. He is fair on his part if he wants it to shift to Chord Road.”