Limalenden Longkumer
Mokokchung | June 5
News from the Nagaland University headquarters Lumami is always bad. Well, more often than not. There is a push and pull game going on between Lumami and Kohima, if the words of some observers are to be taken into consideration. While the Lumami party wants the headquarters to be shifted to its rightful place immediately, those camping in Kohima, as can be construed, want to be based there. Kohima is the “interim headquarters” of the university at the moment. No concrete proof, however, is available with respect to this ‘game’ as no one has brought this out in public so far.
On the other hand, what remains on the surface is that the headquarters is not being shifted to Lumami as yet, because the ‘infrastructure’ remains incomplete. It may be mentioned that the university has engaged the Central Sector Organization, NBCC for implementation of the construction works at Lumami, with a total project cost of Rs.43.1 crores. This was for the construction of School of Sciences, School of Social Sciences, administrative building, a boys’ gymnasium, a girls’ gymnasium, a guest house and an auditorium. The project also included construction of lecturers’ quarters, professors’ quarters, vice-chancellor’s bungalow, pro-VC bungalow, registrar’s bungalow and the central library. Besides, the project also included construction of retaining walls, breast walls, approach roads and other works. It is learned that the NBCC was supposed to complete the constructions and hand them over to the university by March 31, 2007.
However, even after the lapse of more than two years, the construction works are still tagged under the status “in progress” in the university’s report, 12th edition. The Post Graduate Students’ Union (PGSU), Lumami, has been insisting that the construction works should be completed immediately and the headquarters shifted to Lumami without any delay. PGSU (L) officials say that the NBCC and the university officials “have a mutual understanding between them” and accused both. PGSU (L) indicts the delay in construction works by the NBCC as being done as a contrivance of some vested self-interested NU officials.
Following this, the PGSU (L) has written an ultimatum to the VC on the shifting of the University headquarter and the academic block to the new buildings before May 20 2009 so as to resume normal academic session from June 1 2009. The PGSU(L) did not get any positive response from the Vice-Chancellor on this regard, prompting the disappointed students to shift their class rooms by themselves to the new buildings, as a gesture of showing their intend, on June 1 last.
The PGSU(L) also say that the points purportedly made by the NBCC to the Ministry of Human Resources Development to substantiate on their position not being able to finish the construction works within the stipulated time frame, are “baseless excuses.”
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the incumbent Professor in-charge of Lumami Campus, Prof. T. Lanusosang has tendered his resignation to the University. It is also learnt from unconfirmed sources that the University appointed Prof. AK Singh as the Professor in-charge, but that he denied the post. In the mean time, the PGSU met with the Ao Students Conference (AKM) at the latter’s office late evening today, during which the “issue” was discussed at length. Along, a PGSU (L) office bearer told this correspondent on telephone that they have received a letter from the vice-chancellor, saying the University will comply with the PGSU’s demand, which is, shifting of the headquarters to Lumami, by the 8th of June. Along also said that if the Vice Chancellor backtracks on his words again, the PGSU will take its own course of action for which they must not be held responsible and that “the PGSU will not compromise.”
It may be recalled that the MHRD, Government of India, New Delhi has on January 14, 2009 directed the Vice-Chancellor of Nagaland University, Prof. K. Kannan, that the “University authorities and officers should make a time bound plan of action of shifting the office of Vice-Chancellor from its present location at Kohima to Lumami.”
