CUHP campus issue likely to rock Assembly winter session

The issue of the Jadrangal campus of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) is likely to rock the Himachal Assembly during the winter session scheduled to be held in the Tapvon area of Dharamsala from December 18 to 21.

Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar has already set the tone for the standoff. He had recently criticised the government for not releasing Rs 30 crore for the transfer of forestland in Jadrangal of the Dharamsala Assembly constituency in the name of the CUHP. He had said that it was unfortunate that about Rs 250 crore released by the Union Government for the campus construction at Jadrangal was not being utilised as the state government had not released Rs 30 crore for transferring forestland to the CUHP.

Chander Kumar, Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, has accused Shanta Kumar of keeping mum on the issue during the previous BJP government. He alleged that it was during the Jai Ram Thakur government in the state that Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur had got environment clearance for the CUHP campus at Dehra and got forestland transferred in the name of the institution. It was Anurag who had introduced bottlenecks in the transfer of forestland to the CUHP at Jadrangal in Dharamsala, Chander Kumar alleged.

The construction of the CUHP campus at Jadrangal has been hanging fire for the past two years since the Congress formed government in the state. In July 2023, after the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest gave clearance for the transfer of forestland in the name of the CUHP, the Kangra district administration sent a proposal to the state government for Rs 30 crore for the transfer of forestland in the name of the CUHP. However, the state government was yet to deposit the amount.

The university authorities also have been lobbying hard with the government to release the money to enable the transfer of land at Jadrangal in the name of the CUHP so that the construction of the campus could start.

The government has planned a mega function in Bilaspur to celebrate the completion of two years in power while the BJP is planning to rake up the campus issue in Kangra during the winter session of the Assembly. Sources say that the BJP may also organise a rally over the issue during the winter session.

Govt yet to give Rs 30 cr for land transfer

The state government has not yet released Rs 30 crore for the transfer of forestland at Jadrangal to the CUHP

The university has been lobbying hard with the government to release the money to enable land transfer so that the construction of the campus could start