As the State Government is yet to announce a new Divisional Commissioner for Palamu district, land acquisition files are remaining uncleared. Following the retirement of the Divisional Commissioner Swarnaditya Sahay, the post of Commissioner here has been lying vacant since July 1.
Administrative sources said that land acquisition files were piling up there. Caught in this vacuum is the file related to the Nilamber Pitamber University.
Sources further informed that 40 acres of land had been identified at Teekulya More on NH-75. However, the land was locked in objections and to remove these objections the file was keeping in the office of the Divisional Commissioner Palamu, but again lying unattended since July 1 when Sahay superannuated on June 30.
The DC, Palamu Manoj Kumar informed that file related to objections with regard to NPU’s land was in the office of the Divisional Commissioner and added that when he explained the then Divisional Commissioner, he (Sahay) had raised some objections which were already clarified. Then the file was sent back there and by that time the Commissioner superannuated, he explained.
The NPU’s land was being sorted out at three stages. On one stage, the estimate of a chunk of land at Teekulya More was getting prepared. However, in a matter of fact tone the DC did not rule out resistance by the locals once the administration moved in here for acquiring land for the university. Manoj Kumar said the mood of the locals of Teekulya More was far from cordial, and hostility was most likely to break out once land was measured out for acquisition.
Sources reminded that locals had aborted the land measurement and the Administration had to return in haste. The unidentified people had even uprooted the display board installed by the NPU stating ‘site for administrative building’ and the sign board which cost the university more than Rs 7,000 went missing since then. The sadar police were informed of this in writing but in vain.
The DC further told The Pioneer that the MlA KN Tripathy had suggested plot of land on GlA college on which consensus of opinion is to be reached as one or two students’ wings are opposing construction of university building on college campus as this will restrict the further expansion of the GlA college.
The DC referred to some alternative land also in the event of Teekulya More plot of land not getting finalised by way of possession. One resident had suggested land which costs Rs 66 crore the DC said and this proposal is just un thinkable he added.
The Vice-Chancellor Firoz Ahmad and the Prof Vice-Chancellor AN Ojha have urged the DC to further expedite the process for land and expressed hope that the administration would provide suitable and adequate land sooner.
The Prof VC Ojha said the university officials would like to have an interfacing session with DC on this issue in a short time.