Dist admn keeps alive science centre plans

To give ‘life’ to the long pending Sub Regional Science Centre, the district administration has decided to submit a proposal to the government to earmark four acre land in survey number 471/1 at K Nidugane Gram Panchayat limits.

The administration had earmarked four acre land in the Field Marshal K M Kariappa College to the Science Centre in the past. However, as the FMC College authorities failed to hand over the land to the district administration, the authorities were forced to look out for alternative land. It may be recalled that a sum of Rs one crore was released for Sub Regional Science Centre in 2008-09 and Rs 30 lakh in 2009-10. In a meeting held here under the presidentship of Deputy Commissioner K H Ashwathanarayana Gowda here on Tuesday, it was decided to earmark four acre land belonging to Land Development Bank at K Nidugane Gram Panchayat limits. In fact, the proposed land was earmarked for sild waste disposal in the past. The meeting decided to submit a proposal to the government at the earliest.

The DC said “Sub Regional Science Centre was a good project. This will help in inculcating the scientific spirit among the children. The fund was released in 2008-09 to help the children. However, owing to the paucity of land, the work on the centre could not be undertaken.”

Assistant Commissioner Dr M R Ravi said “in the past, we had identified a land near Golf Maidan for the proposed Sub Regional Science Centre. However, the proposal was dropped owing to the distance from the district headquarters. Tahsildar and Revenue department officials have already inspected the land in survey number 471/1 at K Nidugane Gram Panchayat limits. If the Centre comes up in the proposed land, it will benefit the students, he added.

Scouts and Guides District Commissioner K T Baby Mathew said that the identified land is suitable for the setting up of the science centre.

The AC directed the PWD officials to prepare an action plan and estimate for the proposed centre.

The DC directed the DDPI to depute a person to look into the Sub Regional Science Centre.

The proposal sent by the district administration to the government to acquire five acre land adjacent to the Raja Seat is awaiting nod from the government. ZP  CEO N Krishnappa, FMC College Principal Dr Pushpa Kuttanna, Tahsildar Sowmya Gowda, and others were present.