Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive Bimal Gurung today
said the Centre could announce a central university for the hills during
Monday’s Budget session in Parliament. He said so while inaugurating
the new building of Mirik College at Kowlay, about 2km away from Mirik
town. The GTA has constructed the building at a cost of Rs7.60 crore.
"The hills will get to hear some good news soon. I feel that a central
university could be announced in tomorrow’s Budget session of
Parliament. I am really hopeful about it," said the GTA chief. The
GorkhaJanmuktiMorcha has long been demanding a central university for
the hills, which also finds mention in the GTA agreement. According to
Gurung, the hills’ getting a central university would be half the battle
won as far as the statehood demand was concerned. "Getting a university
means securing half of Gorkhaland. It will be a step forward towards
achieving our statehood demand," he said. The university nearest to the
hills is the North Bengal University in Siliguri sub-division. Students
from the hills need to travel more than 80km to Siliguri to attend
classes at the NBU, compelling most of them to rent rooms or stay as
paying guests leading to additional expenses. Gurung said the GTA would
provide two buses and a hostel to Mirik College. "The college will
require buses to ferry students as it is some distance from town. We
will provide buses and a hostel facility as well. Work will soon start
on the fencing around the college premises. We will see what can be done
to renew the old building," said the GTA chief executive. The new
academic session at Mirik College begins from April and the institution
will now be able to accommodate about 1,000 students, up from the
previous 750-800. The new building is three- storeyed and houses 17
classrooms, two halls for holding general classes and more than 10,000
square feet of space. It is also equipped with 22 computers, an attic
for a library and 32 CCTVs to monitor the campus area. In the second
phase, the GTA will build staff quarters (the college presently has 35
teaching and non-teaching staff), a hostel, a science laboratory and an
administrative building. Gurung today also laid the foundation stone for
a Rs3.26-crore tanga road (pathway for the movement of horses) from
Thurbo tea garden check-post to SorasalayGaon to promote tourism. "The
GTA has several development plans for Mirik. We have started work on a
6km road to promote tourism. We hope to attract more tourists to this
place," Gurung said. The state cabinet has agreed to upgrade Mirik into a
sub-division. The place comes under Kurseong sub-division and is a
major tourist attraction, mainly for the quaint Mirik Lake and the boat
rides on offer. (EOIC)
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