State, AMU authorities ink land transfer deal

KISHANGANJ: The land transfer agreement for the establishment of AMU unit in Kishanganj was signed on Friday. Kishanganj DM Sandeep Kumar R Pudakalkatti, on behalf of the state government, and AMU registrar V K Abdul Jaleel inked the land transfer agreement.
The historic occasion was graced by energy minister Bijendra Yadav, AMU VC P K Abdul Azis, state HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Purnia division commissioner Brajesh Mehrotra, other members of the AMU team and Kishanganj Congress MP Asrarul Haq.
Energy minister Bijendra Yadav, addressing mediapersons on the conclusion of the agreement signing ceremony, declared that the state government was committed to make land available to the AMU from the day the proposal was mooted, and said the state government would extend "all possible help" in developing the infrastructure for the AMU unit. "If they so desire and need, we would provide more land for the purpose," he said.
Complementing the state government for its generosity in providing land for the AMU unit in Kishanganj, AMU VC Abdul Azis said, "It was the best gift that the Bihar CM has offered not only to the state, but to the entire academic fraternity across the country."
Terming the AMU's Kishanganj project "more ambitious", the VC indicated that the university, which has committed to spending whopping funds of Rs 1,300 crore and Rs 1,100 crore in Murshidabad (WB) and Mallepuram (Kerala), respectively, towards the build-up of university's infrastructure over a period of next 10 years, would spend no less than that in Kishanganj.
"AMU Kishanganj centre will be a state-of-the-art centre for higher education with world class facilities and technological support," said Azis. The VC also assured that if the state government provides temporary accommodation, the university hopes to launch some of its programme in the next academic session instead. The VC was so overwhelmed at the fulfilment of the state government's commitment in sparing the land that he repeatedly hugged the DM.
The VC declared that the university would appoint the consultant in three-four days and would be asked to prepare the detailed project report within a month. Besides, once the legal niceties and formalities are completed and the AMU's visitor, the President of India, concurs, the AMU would do its best to commence the academic session from July.
The AMU seven-member team visited the proposed site at Chakla on Friday and asked the authorities to remove a few temporary huts on the land.
However, a big ruckus was created at the collectorate when Kishanganj RJD MLA Akhtar ul-Iman was prevented from entering the DM's office where the agreement was executed.
"If the government has allocated land, it was due to mounting public pressure," the angry RJD MLA said.