Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Central University of Himachal Pradesh at Dehra in Kangra district.
Speaking on the occasion, Prakash Javadekar said that the forest clearance for construction of this University was also accorded when he was the Union Forest and Environment Minister.
He said that this University would open new vistas of development in the area besides providing quality higher education to the youth of the area.
The Union Government would provide all possible help to ensure that the University campus would completed soon, he said.
The Union Minister also said that the Centre has sanctioned several nation institutions in the state.
“IIIT has been sanctioned for Una and IIT for Mandi. Cluster University has also been sanctioned for Mandi district. In addition to this, several Central Schools have been sanctioned for the state,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the Central University will have two campuses at two different locations.
He said that the first campus would be at Jadrangal near Dharamshala, which would spread in an area of 750 hectare. The second campus would be established at Dehra in an area of 287 hectare.
Thakur said that the State Government soon after assuming office in the state deposited Rs 6 crore under CAMP Act for forest clearance, so that the construction of this campus could start at the earliest by diverting forest land for non forest purpose.
About Rs 1300 crore would be spent on construction of both these campuses and the same would be completed in next three years. Both these campus would spread in an area of about 1000 hectare making it one of the biggest University of the region, he said.