Formal forest land transfer order soon after formation of new Govt
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 21: As decided by the high-level committee of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Develo-pment, the Government has released funds for operationalization of the transit campus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu at Jagti-Khanpur near Nagrota, which will start maiden academic session from August this year.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the Campus Operationalization Committee of the Union HRD Ministry in its meeting with the concerned officers of the State Government held on December 3, 2015 had issued directions for timely formulation and submission of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the infrastructure required to be created by the State Government for the transit campus of the IIT Jammu.
Accordingly, all the concerned agencies of the State—Roads and Buildings Depart-ment, Power Development Department and Public Health Engineering Department prepared their DPRs reflecting the estimates of the expenditure required to be incurred on constructing boundary wall and extending power and water supply lines up to the site of the IIT campus at Jagti-Khanpur near Nagrota.
The Roads and Buildings Department has provided estimates of Rs 16 crore for construction of 10 feet boundary wall and fixing concertina wires while as Public Health Engineering Department has reflected requirement of Rs 1.92 crore for providing water supply to the campus. Simila-rly, the Power Develop-ment Department has projected estimates of Rs 62.63 lakh for creation of infrastructure beyond Jagti township up to the main site of the IIT.
As per the DPRs, the Public Health Engineering Department would have to lay around 4 kilometer long supply lines to provide water connectivity to the IIT while as Power Develop-ment Department would have to lay around 5.5 kilometer long transmission lines besides creating other infrastructure, sources said while disclosing that all the concerned departments in the recent past furnished the requirement of funds to the Higher Education Department and the Planning and Development Department.
In order to ensure early start of work on creation of infrastructure for operationalization of the transit campus of the IIT Jammu, the Planning and Development Department vide Government Order No.18 dated January 20, 2016 has accorded sanction to the release of additionality to the tune of Rs one crore under Capital Expenditure Budget 2015-16 in favour of the Higher Education Department for onward transmission to the implementing departments.
With the release of these funds, the requirement of the Power Development Depart-ment to the tune of Rs 62.63 lakh has completely been met while as an amount of Rs 19.26 lakh has been earmarked for the Public Health Engineering Department. The remaining funds would be released to this department following start of work on laying of water supply lines.
As far as requirement of funds for raising of boundary walls, sources said, “it has been decided that expenditure on this component would be borne by the HRD Ministry but an amount of Rs 17.69 lakh has been earmarked for boundary marking”, adding “moreover, work on construction of boundary wall would begin only after formal transfer of the identified land by the Forest Department to the Higher Education Department”.
In response to a question, sources said that all the formalities with regard to transfer of 3200 kanals of forest land have already been completed and soon after the formulation of the new Government formal order would be issued in this regard. “If there is prolonged delay in formulation of new Gover-nment, the Governor’s approval will be taken for issuance of formal order as HRD Ministry wants to start maiden academic session of the IIT Jammu from August this year and prior to that transit campus is required to be established as per the department wise deadlines fixed by the Campus Operationalization Committee”.
In the meanwhile, the Forest Department has started installing boundary pillars and exercise for removal of trees would begin soon after issuance of formal land transfer order.
As per the decisions taken by the Campus Operation-alization Committee, the Power Development Department is required to lay power transmission lines up to the site of IIT within two months while as six months time-frame has been given to the Public Health Engineering Department for providing water connection. In order to ensure start of maiden academic session from August this year, the Central Public Works Department would erect required number of pre-fabricated structures.
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