State convener of Dalit Sangharsh Samiti Maryappa Halli addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI
Criticising the State government and the authorities concerned for eyeing land belonging to Gulbarga University, members of Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) have threatened that various organizations will join hands for a protest if the government touches even an inch of land belonging to the university.
Samiti State convener Mariyappa Halli, addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, said that the State government and Syndicate members of the university are making an effort to acquire 250 acres of university land for establishing administrative buildings of various departments.
He said that a top brass official is pressuring the administrative board of the university for force abandonment of 70 acres of university land for establishing a Sports City and a Sports Hub.
Of the total 800 acres land, around 50 acres of land is occupied by ESI Hospital and 20 acres has been given for setting up Government Tools and Training Centre on the university premises.
The State government is planning to acquire 70 acres land for establishing an international cricket stadium, 20 acres for Kalyana Karnataka Human Resources Agriculture and Cultural Society office and an engineering college, 15 acres each for the district office of the Fire and Emergency Services and Vijnaneshwara Law College and 10 acres for Mahatma Gandhi Bhavan, he said.
Besides acquiring 5 acres each for a police station, the Mother and Child Hospital, a Vachana Mantap and the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) building in the open land available on the university campus, the State government wants to acquire huge land for establishing a satellite bus stand and the Zilla Panchayat office building complex.
Mr. Halli quipped that the State government is more interested in increasing the number of universities rather than revamping the existing ones by improving the quality of education.
Accusing the State government of showing lethargy in filling vacant posts in universities, he stated that the academic functioning of most of the universities is reliant on guest lecturers and contractual-basis tutors.
The samiti members warned that various organisations will unite to launch a series of agitation if the State government makes an attempt to acquire even an inch of land belonging to Gulbarga University.
Published – May 08, 2025 07:07 pm IST
