Archit Watts
Muktsar, June 14
The Panjab University Regional Centre (PURC) here, which is running from an unsafe building for the past few years, is awaiting Rs 10 crore grant announced by then Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi during his visit to Muktsar in December
last year.
At present, the admissions for the new academic session are underway but as one enters the PURC complex on Tibbi Sahib Road here, the crumbling building with a portion of the roof collapsed presents a picture of neglect. Notably, this is an old building of the SGPC.
Sources said the university authorities had released some funds for its repair in 2018, but these were insufficient and the front portion could not be rebuilt.
About a decade ago, the construction wing of the university had declared this building unsafe. Later in 2016, the state government transferred nearly five acres for the construction of a new PURC building next to Government College here. However, only the boundary wall could be constructed till date.
It was even planned to instal a pre-fabricated structure at the new site, but that too was not done. Then it was planned to shift the PURC to a rented building of a private college on Kotkapura Road here but nothing happened. Moreover, a proposal was made to shift the PURC to another centre at Kauni village in the Gidderbaha Assembly segment and merge these. It had, however, triggered a major controversy and the idea was dropped.
Meanwhile, some teachers said this premier institute offers courses like LLB, MCA, MA (English, Punjabi, economics and political science) at subsidised fee. “However, the successive state governments have given it a step-motherly treatment,” they added.
NO INFO ON GRANT
The Muktsar PURC is providing quality education to area students since 1998. The state should release funds to construct a new building. But as of now we have no info on the grant announced by ex-CM Channi. — Dr Baljinder Kaur, director, PURC, Muktsar
Promised last year, Muktsar PU regional centre yet to get Rs 10 cr for repair works
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