E UP’s 1st veterinary college to be ready by June end

Gorakhpur: Eastern Uttar Pradesh is set to get its first veterinary college by the end of June to provide facilities for both academic training and treatment of animals.Officials said the institute will offer degree and diploma courses in veterinary science while also serving as a centre for animal healthcare.The foundation stone and bhoomi pujan of the college, coming up at Tal Nador on the Gorakhpur–Varanasi highway, were performed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on March 3, 2024 while construction work had begun on Sept 10 the same year. Once operational, the college will be affiliated with Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan in Mathura.The project is being developed on over 80 acres of land in three phases, with the first phase estimated to cost around Rs 277 crore. According to PWD executive engineer Manish Kumar, about 65% of the first phase construction has already been completed. "The structural work of the major buildings has been finished, and the remaining construction is progressing rapidly. We are aiming to complete the project by the end of June," he said.The first phase will include an academic block (ground plus five floors), a hospital block, residential facilities, hostels for 106 male and 106 female students, separate PG hostels, an auditorium, guest house, community centre and facilities for housing animals, feed storage and research centres related to veterinary sciences. The campus will be developed on a net-zero energy model with a solar power plant, and initially 100 students will be admitted to the undergraduate programme. The college design has been inspired by the concept of Shalihotra, regarded in Indian tradition as the father of veterinary science.