Govt taking steps to resume construction at Presidency University's Kurseong campus

Kolkata: With normalcy returning to the Hills, the state government is going to take all necessary steps to resume the construction of the campus of Presidency University at Dow Hill in Kurseong in full swing.

The work to build necessary infrastructure of the varsity's campus in the Hills had come to a standstill due to the agitation that continued for around past three months.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the setting up of the campus of Presidency University in Kurseong at a cost of Rs 30 crore where subjects like astrophysics and space sciences, Himalayan ecology and biodiversity, Himalayan geology and tectonics, among other subjects will be taught at the under graduate and post graduate levels.

A senior official of the state Public Works Department (PWD) had said: "They would take necessary steps soon after their offices open after the Pujas on Monday so that the agencies that have got the contract to build the infrastructure start their work in full swing."

The official said that a non-residential and a residential building will be developed. Classes and other activities of the university will take place in the non-residential one while the residential one will be a hostel for students.

The work to construct the non-residential building was taking place in full swing. But it had to be stopped when the situation in the Hills started turning worse with the bandh and agitation.

Similarly, the agency to build the residential building was also finalised through the usual procedure. The agency had even started mobilising to the site with all manpower and equipment to initiate the work. But they also had to stop as the situation turned "unfavourable" for work. The official said that wherever they take up a project they need to engage labourers from the locality itself. So it was a major problem during the bandh. "With the situation turning normal, we are hopeful that there will be no obstructions in carrying out the construction," he said.

"Now, we will be giving stress to the agencies to resume all works including that of the campus of Presidency University that could not be carried out in the past three months," the official said adding that similarly construction of a circuit house at Kalimpong and a PWD guest house in an

area situated on way to Kalimpong from Tista Bazar has also stopped.

However, the PWD had somehow managed to carry on with the emergency works to ensure people do not suffer due to lack of safe drinking water, etc.