Ranchi: Days after protest over rape bid of a female student, the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) stated that delay in land allocation by the state govt has caused poor safety for students on campus. University authorities said that delay in land allocation for the university's Cheri Mantu campus has prevented them from constructing the boundary wall, posing threats to the safety of students, particularly girls.
University sources said that the delay in providing compensation to the landowners has also hindered the construction of a dedicated approach road to the university.
CUJ vice chancellor Kshiti Bhushan Das stated, "The memorandum of understanding for CUJ was signed in 2009. It is the only university among its contemporaries that does not have its campus. We met chief minister Hemant Soren earlier this month and invited him to visit our campus. He has assured to look into the matter."
Notably, the CUJ infrastructure is being built with central funds, while the land is to be provided by the state govt. According to CUJ officials, out of the 504 acres of land to be allotted by the state govt, the university has been allocated only 365 acres. However, the university's actual possession is only 300 acres.
Out of the remaining 139 acres, a sum of Rs 99.99 crore was released by the state govt in March 2023 for the acquisition of around 16 acres, but the exercise for disbursement of funds among the landowners has not been completed. The university claimed that the state govt has not released the fund to be paid as compensation for acquiring the remaining 123 acres.
When contacted, director of the land acquisition wing, Bhor Singh Yadav, said the matter is being looked after at the district level. Ranchi deputy commissioner, Manjunath Bhajantri, said that he would review the matter soon.
It may be stated here that CUJ has a strength of 4,500 students, of which at least 50 percent are girls. Of them, 500 girl students reside in the university hostel, while others live in neighbouring areas.
In a memorandum submitted to the DGP Jharkhand last month, CUJ stated that cases of eve-teasing, harassment, and other offences have become alarming, creating an environment of fear and insecurity among the students.