CUB to get 300 acre land at Gaya

Patna: In a much-awaited boost to its development plans, the Central University of Bihar (CUB) would be handed over 300 acres of defence land at the abandoned Panchanpur airfield, Gaya, for establishment of its full-fledged permanent campus there on Friday.

A deal to this effect was made at the Defence Estate Office, Danapur, (Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar circle) on Thursday when CUB officials presented a draft of Rs 22.18 crore in favour of defence estate officer, JOB circle, Danapur. In return, a document “on account of transfer of value of 300 acres of defence land situated at Panchanpur airfield, Gaya” would be handed over to the CUB officials at Gaya on Friday by a defence staff authorized for making the transaction, a defence source told TOI.

The source said, “Earlier on Wednesday, a letter was issued to the CUB authorities to pay a sum of Rs 22.18 crore to the defence office in the form of a draft for the transfer of the land and the officials executed the task within a day.” However, CUB vice-chancellor Janak Pandey or registrar M Nehal was not available for comment as both were out of station.

The Union cabinet gave its approval for transferring the said 300 acres of land to the Ministry of Human Resource Development on October 8, 2013.

Earlier in September last, CUB registrar M Nehal had told TOI, “Project management consultants and architects have been appointed for the construction work.” As per the project model submitted by the Kolkata-based consultancy agency, the sprawling campus would have several facilities including a school for children of faculty members, shopping complex and latest technology-equipped academic buildings.

While addressing the CUB’s maiden convocation last year, CM Nitish Kumar had expressed the desire of renaming CUB, Gaya, after Gautam Buddha, as a tribute to Buddha.

At present, nearly 160 students study in 13 undergraduate and postgraduate courses running from a rented building in Gaya. Its administrative work is done from the Birla Institute of Technology Patna (BITP) campus, Patna. Close to 250 students study in 16 streams at the BITP campus here.

Courtesy: TNN