Private institutions of higher education that have entered into an agreement with the State Government to open campuses in Jharkhand and inked the letter of Intent (loI) in this regard are finding prices of land too exorbitant and thus unaffordable. The land reality has come in the way of their hunt which had started since the agreement was signed with specific timelines and desirables.
Officials of the most of the four private universities namely Amity University, AISECT University, Mentas University and Karunya University recently joined the process in the State have encountered with the issue where circle rate of the Government land is found way above than the private or raiyati land available around Ranchi.
“Following the agreement, the Higher and Technical Education Department officials took us on the trip in the search of land. Most of the Government lands shown to us were at Ormanjhi and Kanke areas and also at Khunti. But when we came across the price it was exorbitant. At Kanke the circle rate is too high and we were getting land at the rate of Rs 2 crore per acre which was unaffordable for opening a campus,” said Shailendra Mishra, Assistant State Head of AISECT.
As per the agreement signed with the Government, the private universities need at least 25 acres of land for opening a campus and that also within six months of the loI done, i.e. November 30. “If we had gone for the land shown over Rs 50 crore would have to be invested into just land purchase. When our budget is hovering around Rs 90 crore only how come we would have afforded it,” added Mishra.
Similar reactions came from the Amity University and its management is also burning midnight oil to get land the most important and initial requirement before opening the campus. “They have shown us land at Ormanjhi which does not look suitable for opening a university. It is hilly as well as not easily accessible from the main highway.
Thus we have started concentrating on private land at Kanke, Nagri and some other places,” said an official.
When contacted, top official of Higher and Technical Education Department played haplessness over the price. “We have limited option about land available. As far as their prices are concerned it is for the land Revenue Department to determine. Anyway land could not be given to them for free and the option is open for them to look for private land available,” said Ajoy Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department and affirmed that none of the signatory so far had updated the Department about any purchase done.
The loI has made it compulsory for the parties to get possession of the land Government or private within six months and enter into the campus before two years of it. As the promoters are finding themselves in a tight situation on this front, for many going for private land seems more viable an option.
“We have indentified some raiyati land at Kanke and Ormanjhi which is much cheaper than the Government land offered. Our senior officials would look into the matter before finalising it. Hopefully by January, we would be in a position to get around 30 acre of raiyati land for our campus,” said the AISECT official.
The four universities were selected among 11 applications since the State Government has formulated a model guideline meant for the institutions coming in the private sector. The guideline apart from others lays down certain terms and conditions needed to be fulfilled ahead of the formal process. Suitable land is one of the prerogatives.
This holds importance as fulfillment of the norms has been closely monitored by a Government panel and after its satisfaction only Acts related to a particular university would be tabled and passed in the Assembly.